Delicate Condition
by LumBabsFan
Summary: After the spell is broken, a crisis tears Lumiere and Babette apart.
1. Prologue

**_A/N: It's good to be back. :-) :takes in a breath of that wonderful ff . net air: Hoping to see some veterans come back for this one, but just a quick word for newbies. This story is actually the fourth installment (and the last) in my "Romance" series. This story CAN be read on its own, but if you would like to see the others, please check out the C2 community "Tale as Old as Time" or my bio. Order is as follows: Les Fleurettes (#1), Questionable Romance (#2), and Prelude (#3). (end of plug, LOL)_**

**_My thanks as always to the B&B Writers Workshop group on MSN :-), and always, ALWAYS my highest gratitude to my loverly beta, TrudiRose._**

**_Anyhoo, here it is! The next story ready to go; enjoy!_**_**

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_**Delicate Condition** _

_By Faith Kelter _

_Beauty and the Beast characters © Walt Disney Company _

_Original characters © Faith Kelter_

_Prologue _

An entire year, down to the day, and Babette was still convinced that she would never adjust to her human body after so many years under the enchantment. Dusting a few expensive knick-knacks in the hall seemed much easier when all she had to do was hold them in her former feathery hands. Merely gliding across the floor swept it clean. Work had actually been a bit more fun then, she mused, taking a moment to lean against the wall and twirl her duster playfully.

"_It is just that…I like you better this way."_

Babette covered her mouth to keep from giggling too loudly; the last thing she needed was Cogsworth overhearing and scolding her first thing in the morning. At first she had teased Lumière for his careless words that fateful night, loving to watch him writhe before playing along. But he could not have been more right.

_When all was calm again amongst the staff following the mob attack, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Lumière had raced to the West Wing to see what had become of their master and Belle, who had returned in the nick of time._

_Babette fearfully glanced around the room before continuing to wait anxiously for any sign of her lover. Belle had come back to them, and Babette had caught a glimpse of the girl's face as she ran to the forbidden West Wing. There was no doubt anymore in Babette's mind; Belle was clearly worried about the master in such a way that only a woman in love could be. Babette's heart swelled with excitement and anticipation. Finally, mon Dieu, after all these years! She would be able to hold her beloved Lumière again..._

_But a scream from behind turned everyone's attention away from the staircase, and Babette watched as the final transformation of the servants took its heavy toll. This was certainly not what she had in mind as an outcome, and she looked on, petrified. Whatever was left of faces, arms, and feet were quickly being consumed by non-living elements that made up the inanimate objects that they were becoming. _

_Taking a deep breath, despite the horror, Babette tried with great determination to reach anyone she could to comfort them, but it was a hopeless effort. Midway through her attempt, she cringed, feeling her already stiff wooden body grow even more rigid than ever before. The enchantress had rid the staff of most human sensations, but pain was not one of them, Babette thought angrily. Shrieking in agony, she felt her greatly objectified form twist and contort into a full-fledged feather duster. Her arms welded into one with her body, her hands meshing together with the mass of feathers where her feet had once been._

_In an endeavor to ease her misery, she closed her eyes and pictured_ _Lumière. Just as he had been in years past, he was surely at the master's side in times of fear instead of hers. The master needed him more than she did, she told herself, desperately trying to keep bitterness from her thoughts._

_Very soon, it _would_ all be over._

Babette did not even realize she had closed her eyes to reminisce until she opened them, admittedly taking a few moments to remind herself that it was only a memory by glancing at her hands and lightly touching her face. No feathers, no wood, only soft skin, she confirmed with a nod. Just as wonderful as the day it had ended…well almost.

To feel the exhilarating rush of magic pull them all back from the depths of despair was nothing short of a miracle. Babette had closed her eyes, anticipating the worst, but then opened them, feeling as though she had awaken from a frighteningly intense dream. For a brief pause, as she looked around the room finding humans in place of the objects they had once been, she swore that she was still in that dream. Perhaps this was what was known as 'life flashing before your eyes' previous to death or even a glimpse of heaven itself. But as the unbelievable reality sank in, she knew that they were free at last.

_He had, of course, caught up to her quite easily, certainly not out of practice in the chase._

_So many tiny things that Babette had taken for granted years ago suddenly felt intensely incredible and wonderfully familiar – her heart racing, breaths coming fast…Lumière's arms tightly enveloping her in his embrace. His passion had never once cooled during the enchantment, but nothing could compare to this, the first moments of humanity. _

"_I have no intention of releasing you," he whispered softly, his warm breath tickling her ear, causing her to giggle._

_Babette pulled back only far enough to look at him, tears welling up in her eyes happily, despite the playful smirk she gave him. "Well, I have no intention of _letting_ you release me," she replied, her voice choked with emotion._

_When he reached to cup her face in his hands, drying her tearstained cheeks with his thumbs, Babette touched his wrists with her own newfound hands with an overjoyed sob. In response, Lumière grasped them firmly, bringing them to his lips to shower them with adoring kisses. Of all the things the pair had missed the most, it was the ability to caress and hold one another as only human lovers could. For the longest time, they stood reveling in the sense of touch that both had been deprived of in object form, exploring familiar curves and crevices that lie beneath the cover of clothes. Such accommodations led to an inevitable kiss that left Babette weak in the knees, her entire being tingling and craving more than he could give her in the open halls._

"_Now," Lumière gasped, catching a breath. "Now do you understand why I like you better this way?" he asked, unable to resist a laugh._

_Pressing herself as close to him as she could, Babette sniffed back what was left of her tears, smiling playfully and placing her finger to his lips. "Make better use of these instead of talking," she replied, teasing, "and we shall call it even."_

_Lumière, of course, did not object._

Leaning against the wall, Babette grinned before putting the memory to rest for the millionth time in the past year. Life was good, and from now on, it could only get better. Turning her attention to the small gold engagement ring on her finger, she remembered why.

Christmas Eve, the night the spell had been cast years ago, had started as a happy occasion. After too many long years, Lumière had finally proposed to her. The spell, of course, had put a damper on those plans, but now that it was over, they could at last begin a new future together.

Of course, that would mean deciding upon an exact date and time, which Lumière still had not given her, no matter how many times she asked. But tonight…_oui, _tonight, she would coax it out of him. The palace galas and celebrations brought out the best in him, from his impeccable work to his unmatched romantic nature. Once dinner had finished, he would find a bit of alone time to spend with her. When they met tonight, she was determined to finally get an answer.

ooo

Lumière checked the rug once he approached the end of the massive dining room table, sure that he had worn a hole in it from all the pacing he had done in the last hour. Thankfully, it was still perfectly intact, if a little trampled.

He glanced over the entire menu one final time, certain that he had the proper dishes to satisfy each of the dignitaries and royals attending tonight's celebration. At long last, he could bring it to the kitchen for preparation.

The spell's years of solitude had definitely had a harsh impact on him. Years ago, in the prime of his career, he could easily have each and every dinner planned down to the last dessert in mere minutes. He never second-guessed, never thought twice, and was always sure of success after one check. Not once did his plans fail him.

But then came the crashing halt once the enchantment was cast. The master did not eat much the first week, much to servants' dismay. Come the second week, the prince took his anger over his wild animal façade out on different creatures of the forest, as though that was how he was supposed to survive. When the servants found gnarled bones scattered around his room in the West Wing, it took every bit of their strength to force the boy back to human habits. It would not do any of them good if he gave into this madness completely. By the third week, they succeeded in bringing him back to the table, but all that he would touch were plain meats or stews, which of course, he slurped up like an animal. There was no reason left for Lumière to plan or serve any of the fancy, elaborate dishes that he prided himself on.

Not until Belle arrived did Lumière have the chance to work his talents again, although after the grand feast on her first night there, meals still were far too simple than what he was capable of. Only once the spell was broken did his work return to the way it used to be.

What he was not prepared for was so many gatherings and events at once. Being quite out of practice, they had tested his famous optimism to the extreme, and down to this very night, each one pushed him to his limits. Just when he thought it was all over, something else had come along.

Just as it did that very moment, for example. Having left the menu in Chef's capable hands, Lumière had no sooner sat down for a short break than Cogsworth had found him.

"What on earth do you think you are doing?" the stout head of household inquired.

Lumière merely kept his head lolled back with his eyes closed, undaunted. "It is called 'resting.' I know, the word is not even in your vocabulary, so I do not expect you to understand."

"I can see that, you ninny!" Cogsworth retaliated. "Have you finished tonight's menu?"

"_Oui_."

"Brought it to the kitchen?"

"Done."

"Has Chef started to cook yet?"

"Go ask him."

Cogsworth ran his hand over his face impatiently. "Lumière, for once in your life, could you just cooperate with me for one day?"

Lumière turned his head slightly to look at him. "I have done everything that I am supposed to," he said indignantly. "How is that not cooperating?"

"I can't be in two places at once. How hard would it be for you to simply make sure things are running smoothly in the kitchen, as it is part of your responsibility?"

Lumière sighed. No peace came to anyone unless Cogsworth was calm, and that itself was a rarity, intensified when a royal party was involved. Thus, there would be no peace for the weary today.

"Everything is fine, I assure you," he said. "We both know Chef takes great pride in his work. He can be just as diligent and punctual as you are, not accepting less than perfection. Knowing that, I will stake a week's pay on a guess that he and his staff are already cooking away splendidly. There is nothing to worry about."

Cogsworth frowned, but nodded with understanding, while Lumière simply grinned. That was the closest thing to a positive acknowledgement that Cogsworth could ever give until parties were over.

"Now that I have given you some reassurance, why not pull up a chair and join me?" Lumière offered. "It will do you a world of good."

"Absolutely not, there is still too much to be done," Cogsworth declined. "Not since the royal wedding have we had anything so grand to celebrate as the young master's arrival."

Lumière smiled. The young master, Alexandre Maurice Victoir, newborn son of their prince, Vincent, and princess, Belle; the only one making all this insanity worth every minute.

The announcement of an heir to the royal family was undoubtedly wonderful news, and brought a sense of celebration to the land. But as with most exciting events, this one was especially miraculous to everyone in the castle, reminding them all how strong love truly was. First it had conquered a man that they believed was hopeless to change for the better, showing him that inner beauty and goodness of the heart were what made a person admired and respected. Now, from that man and the woman he cherished, a brand new _life_ had been created. Nothing on earth could possibly be any stronger than that.

Thus, for once, Lumière had to agree with his comrade. "Indeed, _mon ami_, he deserves only the best, and we shall see that he gets it."

"Very good then," Cogsworth replied. "Now enough lazing about; time to get back to work! We have already wasted too many precious minutes."

"_Oui, mon capitan_, right away!" Lumière exclaimed, mock saluting, just the way Cogsworth always hated it.

But nonetheless, with renewed enthusiasm, he rose from his seat, heading towards the kitchen to see if he could offer any assistance there. The more he moved, the less of a chance Cogsworth's "slack senses" would pick up on him again.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One 

Cogsworth had summed it up perfectly: not since the royal wedding earlier that year had the castle seen this much reason to celebrate. The cream of the social crop gathered by the dozens to share in the joy of their prince and princess, honoring the arrival of their firstborn.

It was with this knowledge in mind that Vincent looked down at his son, amazed, in the privacy of Alexandre's nursery. So many people were here to see the child, but he needed time with him first. The tiny baby was dressed in the most splendid little clothes, gazing back with his father's blue eyes. When Vincent leaned down carefully against the side of the bassinet, offering the baby his finger to play with, Alexandre smiled with as much childlike delight that an infant his age was capable of, as if his papa had given him the world.

Only in Vincent's dreams had he ever imagined that such happiness was possible. Watching the boy examine the finger curiously, wrapping his two small hands around it, Vincent laughed softly, shaking his head in wonder.

For years growing up, he had craved everything from material possessions to each ounce of power he could get, hoping to find something that could give him relief or gladness, anything that could free him from feeling that the loss of his parents was his fault. Unfortunately in the process, his greed and selfishness had turned him into the monster that he would eventually become. During the spell, before Belle arrived, he had cursed the enchantress whenever he could for ruining his life. Now he took each moment to mentally thank her instead.

Belle was his very life's blood. He could lose all that he owned, everything that made him the prince that he was. But only without her would he consider himself nothing. She had given him the most important gifts at the darkest time of his life: understanding, compassion, and the greatest of all, true love. She had saved him from himself. As he looked down at their child, Vincent felt both humbled and elated seeing in the boy how strong and wonderful their love for each other was.

"Please tell me, sire, that the spell wasn't in vain," came her beautiful voice from behind him, pleasantly disturbing his reverie.

Vincent looked up with a smile as Belle joined him at the bassinet. "What makes you think that, my lady?" he asked, teasingly curious.

"You wouldn't be selfish again, keeping your son all to yourself when there are excited guests waiting to see him, would you?" she replied with a playful grin.

"This is his first party," Vincent explained. "I was trying to teach him how a prince greets his guests, but instead, he has me so completely mesmerized that I lost all track of the time."

Belle looked down at Alexandre. "Ah, so that's it," she cooed, gently tickling her son and earning a giggle for her effort. "_You're_ the one making everyone wait." Gathering him in her arms, she smiled. "Well then, I think it's about time we talk to you about what happens to spoiled children who think only of themselves."

"Indeed, I can share stories from experience," Vincent laughed, delicately stroking the boy's cheek. "And they're not any of those pretty stories that your mother will read to you one day."

Alexandre merely stared at them curiously in reply, and Belle sighed, still entranced by her son as the day he was born. Looking up at Vincent, she kissed him lovingly.

"What was that for?" Vincent asked, gazing at her adoringly.

"More thanks for giving me the most wonderful child in the world."

"In that case," he said, pausing to return the kiss, "the very same to you. With all my heart."

Belle smiled warmly, but as Alexandre reached for a loose curl of her hair and the guests downstairs grew louder, she said decisively, "I think it's time to make an entrance."

"Absolutely," Vincent agreed. "We have him all to ourselves for a number of years. Sparing them a meager few moments to adore him as much as we do couldn't hurt."

When Vincent and Belle made their way to the ballroom entrance, they found Cogsworth waiting for them. The head of the household bowed respectfully – admittedly unable to suppress a grin as Alexandre babbled happily upon seeing a familiar face – before he announced the royal family.

As they entered the gigantic room, all of the guests bowed and curtsied, some even chattering about the precious little prince at first glance. Once Belle had placed the baby in another bassinet brought down for the occasion, a line formed immediately as each noble and royal followed to show their respects and give well wishes.

Everything was seemingly going smoothly, but after a while, Vincent noticed that Cogsworth was approaching him cautiously.

"Ahem…master? May I have a moment of your time, please?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.

Now thoroughly puzzled, Vincent nodded, excusing himself politely from his guests before following Cogsworth away.

"All right, Cogsworth – what's wrong?" the prince asked knowingly. Cogsworth could never hide his agitation when trouble reared its head.

"Well…it appears that we have…what one may call an unexpected guest."

This didn't help Vincent's confusion. "Cogsworth, just come out with it," he said. "Nothing good comes from avoiding the question."

Cogsworth swallowed nervously. "Y-your uncle is here, and he w-wishes to speak to you."

Vincent felt the hair on his neck stand on end at the very mention of his father's brother, Auguste.

When Vincent was born, his mother had died of complications during childbirth. His father, deeply in love with his late wife, slowly but surely began to waste away into heartbreak and depression, and as expected, he followed her to heaven soon after. Auguste was proclaimed France's ruler the very next day until Vincent became of age to ascend the throne.

The relationship between uncle and nephew was full of hatred from the start. Auguste had been very close to his brother for their entire lives, and now this small infant had taken his brother and sister-in-law away from him. Not wanting to have anything to do with the baby, Auguste insisted that it was the servants' duty to raise him. As the servants feared for their jobs and lives if they reprimanded the young prince, this only resulted in Vincent becoming a self-centered, rotten little brat with a growing mutual contempt for his uncle over the years. To this very day, Vincent blamed Auguste for all that had happened to him in the past.

For a moment, Vincent debated the best course of action. The one aspect of his personality that remained from the past was his infamous short temper, he knew that, and he did not want to take any risks tonight. Whether Alexandre would remember it or not, Vincent refused to have the only memory of this celebration be him losing his self-control in front of everyone.

"Show him to the drawing room," he ordered. "And tell him I will be there shortly."

Cogsworth nodded in acknowledgement as Vincent returned to Belle's side.

"Will you be all right on your own for a short while?"

Belle looked at him concerned. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just a small matter that requires immediate attention," he replied, not wanting to answer questions. "Will you be all right?"

"Vincent, I would feel better if I knew what was wrong."

"I will explain later, I promise."

Belle sighed, but nodded. "Go on, but hurry back."

"Trust me, this won't take long," he promised, kissing her cheek sweetly in an attempt at reassurance before he headed to the drawing room.

When he arrived outside the door, Vincent took a deep breath to calm himself before entering the room. But upon the first sight of Auguste, he stiffened with rage, wishing that he had never met the old man before. As much as Vincent had changed over the spell years, no part of him would easily be able to forgive his uncle. Auguste was the human representation of so many childhood nightmares and frightening feelings from Vincent's past. This man's voice was the one he heard crying out "It's your fault!" in his dreams, and the prince couldn't resist a shiver of fear as cold visions of his parents momentarily haunted him still by just looking at his uncle.

Vincent slowly moved to sit across from him. "Of all people, I did not think you would show yourself around here tonight," he said.

"Call me full of surprises then," Auguste remarked curtly. "Let me make it clear that, first and foremost, that I have shown you nothing but respect this past year. I expect it in return."

Vincent folded his arms to keep from breaking this man's neck. "Respect has to be earned, and I don't recall you trying to earn it recently. Now I have no time for games; tell me what you wish to say or get out. In contrast to your attitude when I was born, I actually care about my son to be out there for him."

Auguste gritted his teeth, not speaking until he was certain that he could do so without yelling. "Contrary to what you believe, I am not here to cause you any grief. You told me once not to come back unless I wholeheartedly wanted to be here. Well here I am, if that offer still stands."

Vincent was not easily convinced. "Why should I believe you?"

"Truth be told, Vincent, I am growing older by the day," Auguste replied. "Time can not be turned back. Having quite some time to think lately, I realized that I made many wrong decisions concerning you."

"The understatement of the century, uncle."

Auguste grasped the arms of his chair to restrain his impatience. "If you can not treat me with respect, then hold your tongue. I admitted that I was wrong, but you must understand that you were not the only one hurting. I lost my closest friend, my own brother…"

"And I lost my father, as well as my mother!" Vincent shouted, jumping from his seat. "Both of whom you were fortunate enough to know! I never knew them, ever! The only way I know what they looked like is from their portraits hanging in the halls, ones that I was always ashamed to look at because I was convinced that I killed them! And what did you do? You encouraged that horrible belief, not ever giving a damn about what happened to me because of such stupidity!"

"I know that!" Auguste argued, softening his tone before he continued. "I _know_ that. Losing a loved one brings out both the worst and best in people. I had already done the worst when your parents died, but when you disappeared, I did all I could to find you! Did you know that? I had everyone out looking for you! I refused to lose any more family, especially my brother's only son!"

Vincent stared at him for a long moment. That was the first time Auguste had ever referred to him as family.

Auguste took a deep breath. "When you returned, I came to make amends at that first celebration, but you – understandably – turned me away. Please, do not do it again. I see how happy you are now, how much you have grown into a fine young man with a beautiful wife, and now a son of your own. You're very much the man that my brother was. Whatever happened to you, I say it changed your life for the better. All I ask is that I be a part of it."

Vincent shook his head, not as a negative, but more to comprehend what he was hearing. "You…want to be?"

"Very much so. You have enough to worry about tonight, but I want to extend an invitation of my own. Two days from now, please visit with me, come to my home so we may put an end to all this disdain."

At first, Vincent didn't know what to say, or even to believe. This was so sudden. A man he had hated his entire life was now asking for forgiveness practically out of the blue?

"Why haven't you approached me sooner?"

"Because you demanded that I stay away until I was sure," Auguste responded. "And now I am. Not the best timing, I know."

Vincent smiled a little. "No, not quite." He paused thoughtfully. "Very well, I will give you this one chance. Two days from now; until then, this conversation is over. There is still a party to attend…and I hope you will stay."

Auguste smiled in return. "I will, indeed, and gladly so. Thank you."

ooo

In the ballroom, Lumière weaved his way through the crowd towards Belle.

"Dinner is ready and waiting, your highness," he said.

Belle nodded in acknowledgement, but her worried eyes never left the crowd.

Catching her contagious concern, Lumière asked, "What is it? Is something troubling you?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Vincent had to leave for a moment, but he didn't look happy about it."

"You mean he hasn't come back yet?" Cogsworth asked, overhearing as he approached them from behind. "This can't be a good thing. Relations between the master and his uncle have been strained as it is."

"The master's uncle is here? What can _he_ possibly want?" Lumière inquired, a hint of contempt in his words.

"Watch your tone," Cogsworth admonished. "Despite everything that he has done to the master in the past, it isn't our place to speak against him."

Belle looked between the two of them, now confused as well as apprehensive. "What happened between them? Will he be all right?"

"Well, your majesty, let's just say that the two have never seen eye-to-eye," Cogsworth replied, once again avoiding details. "One never knows what could happen when they are in the same room."

It was then that the three of them caught sight of Vincent and Auguste heading towards them, quite content and pleased with each other's company.

"Though this amiable outcome is a first," Lumière muttered, earning him a scowl from Cogsworth.

"Uncle, I trust you remember the two finest servants and friends a man could ask for, Cogsworth and Lumière," Vincent said. Auguste nodded, as the pair bowed.

Vincent then stood beside Belle next to the bassinet, gazing at his wife and son with utmost adoration. "Though you haven't yet met my lovely Belle, and our most special reason for celebrating tonight, Alexandre."

Belle curtsied politely as Auguste took her hand to offer a gentleman's kiss. "Our thanks for coming, your highness; it is an honor," she said.

"Tenfold to you both, _madame_, for permitting me to stay," Auguste replied kindly, before turning his attention to Alexandre. "Quite a handsome young man you have here," he complimented. "Looks just like Vincent when he was born, though he surely inherited such dark locks from his beautiful mother."

"You are too kind, _monsieur_," Belle said graciously. Glancing at Vincent, however, her expression silently looked for answers.

Vincent nodded to reassure her before he announced to the small group, "Uncle Auguste has asked me to visit with him; we have a lot to catch up on."

"It certainly sounds like a good idea," Belle said. But remembering Cogsworth's words, she couldn't keep the haunting worry from her tone. As Auguste leaned over the bassinet, crooning to the baby, she pulled Vincent aside gently. Cogsworth and Lumière followed.

"Do you want me to go with you to your uncle's home?" she asked.

Vincent held her hands tenderly in his. "Not to offend you, my love, but this is something that I have to do alone. I hope you understand."

"Of course," she said. "Cogsworth mentioned that things weren't well between you and your uncle; if this will help, then do it. But are you sure that you want to do it all alone? If not me, maybe you could take someone else." She looked to Lumière. "Maybe you could go with him, at least for support?"

Lumière nodded. "Without question."

Vincent thought for a moment before he agreed. "Very well then. We will leave the day after tomorrow."

Belle smiled, feeling much better knowing that Vincent would have a good friend at his side. But noticing poor Cogsworth looking the slightest picture of hurt, she quickly added with a small wink to the others, "Then it's settled. Lumière will go with you, and Cogsworth stays with me. I still have to learn how to act like a princess on my own, and only someone with his vast knowledge and experience could help me."

Cogsworth looked proud as a peacock at the praise. "Indeed correct, your majesty; you can always count on me."

ooo

Not long after the conversation, dinner had begun, been eaten and enjoyed. Once it had ended, and the guests returned to the ballroom, the staff began to clear the table as quickly as possible.

When all was done, Lumière tiredly dismissed his servers, complimenting their fine work as always, before making his way to a nearby sitting room to take a well-deserved break. Collapsing lazily on a chaise, he sighed contentedly. Finally, nothing more to worry about for at least two days before traveling with the master, and even that would be close to a holiday compared to the massive amount of work around the castle lately.

There was only one thing that could possibly make this moment even better…and when he felt two familiar hands at his shoulders, he knew _she_ had the same idea.

"I was hoping you would be here," he said, capturing Babette's hands to kiss them affectionately.

Babette grinned, pulling away only to walk around the chaise and make herself comfortable in his lap. "When have you ever expected otherwise?"

"Never, _ma poupette_," Lumière replied, stroking her cheek and laughing gently as she flinched. "You will never stop doing that, will you?"

"Some habits do not die," Babette murmured with her perfected adorable pout. When he slowly pulled his hand away, she reached to stop him. "That does not mean that I do not like your touch, of course."

Lumière smirked, running his hand from her cheek to the hollow of her throat. "Oh really now?"

"_Vraiment_," she purred. "Those hands of yours…work wonders."

When he claimed a kiss immediately, Babette smiled as she accepted. One hint of suggestive thoughts and she had him right where wanted him; it never failed. Any answer she was looking for was easily given without second thought in times like this.

Gently prying her lips from his, she let him continue wherever he wanted as she whispered.

"Lumière?"

"Hmm?"

"Everything was so beautiful tonight…the decorations, hors d'oeuvres – you truly outdid yourself there…"

"Mmm hmm."

"Enough to…rival the royal wedding, _non_?"

"Very much so," Lumière replied as he trailed his lips down her arm.

Babette grinned, sure of a victory. "Do you think it possible to have…_our _wedding be as wonderful?" When Lumière paused at her hand, without a quick response, her smile faded. "You have not forgotten about that, have you?"

"How could I?" Lumière asked, with a slight hint of irritation. "You have not stopped asking about it even when I have given you an answer."

Babette tore her hand away, sliding off his lap and turning her gaze to the wall. "'It is not our time yet; there is too much to be done before it can happen; the master needs us now,'" she said, mechanically repeating various reasons she had heard before. "Among so many others that I can not recall easily. But they say the memory is the first to abandon you when growing old."

"Babette…"

"Perhaps by the time it _does_ happen, it will not have to be anything spectacular because by then I will not even be able to remember it!"

Lumière reached for her shoulder, but she shrugged him away, folding her arms. Lumière only sighed in frustration, mentally scolding himself for saying anything at all. Silence was a man's best friend in times like this.

"Babette listen…will you at least look at me?" he asked being greeted by her frown when she obliged his request. "_Ma plumette_, you deserve the very best when we do get married…"

"Don't you mean '_if_ we get married'?" she interrupted harshly.

"No, I mean '_when_,'" he answered, emphasizing the final word. Gently, he coaxed her into placing her hand back into his, holding it up to show her the ring she wore. "I gave you this with a promise, and I am not going to take it back, _comprends_?"

Babette sighed, dejected. "Lumière, all I want to know is when that will happen," she said. "I have waited long enough, and all I am asking for is a date. It is not a difficult decision."

"When I have an answer, I will give it to you."

"In other words," she began sarcastically, "I will die an old _unwed_ maid."

"Will you stop talking like that?" Lumière asked, drawing her close to him and cuddling her in his arms. "If I recall, I am older than you are, so if you are old _now_, then what does that make me?"

"Ancient and decaying, which is why we have to move fast," she replied, smiling a bit by the end of her sentence.

Lumière laughed. "I will ignore such an insult simply because I am too happy to see that beautiful smile."

"Nonetheless, flattery will not work this time." Babette glanced up at him, her eyes so preciously pleading for an answer. "When will you give me a date, _amour_?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

"As soon as you give me time to think about it."

"Tomorrow?"

Lumière shook his head. "Unfortunately, I have to pack tomorrow."

"What?" Babette cried. "Why?"

"The day after, the master is visiting his uncle for a few days, and I was asked to join him," he explained. "He is going to need some good company in case their peacemaking goes wrong."

Babette stared at him, beyond dismayed. "But that was supposed to be our day! You were going to speak with him about us having time off then since tomorrow we will be cleaning up after the party!"

Lumière winced as he turned beet red. "Oh _non_, with all the preparations for tonight, I – "

"Forgot, as usual, I know," Babette finished for him angrily, this time not only pulling away, but rising to head for the door as well. Lumière, of course, followed her, stopping her in her tracks as he blocked her escape route. She, in response, turned away, determined this time not to give in to him.

"Babette?" No answer. "I _am_ sorry," he continued, with still no response. Holding her from behind, he sighed apologetically. "I truly did not mean to forget. But this trip…it is important. The master wants to finally make amends with his uncle, and we know that it will not be easy. He needs me. For his sake, please say you understand."

Babette bit her lip to keep any emotion at bay. He did have a point; this visit must mean a lot to their prince. But knowing that did not make it easier to look up at Lumière, offering a weak attempt of a smile and nodding her agreement.

Lumière embraced her tightly, knowing full well that she was not pleased. "_Je t'aime, ma chérie_; you know that, _oui_?" She nodded again. "Then give me a better smile than that," he said, drawing away only enough to see her face.

"Only if you promise to make time for us when you get back," she replied. "Give me your word."

"You have it then," he promised, kissing her forehead sweetly. "When we come home, I will see what can be arranged, I swear it as a gentleman."

"So much for that then, as _monsieur_ is far from a gentleman," she countered with a smirk.

"Oh, how she wounds my weak heart with her insults!" Lumière cried playfully, plunging an imaginary knife into his chest, falling to his knees and taking her down with him. But gazing lovingly at her, he murmured, "But I love her all the same."

Babette sighed, allowing him to hold her. Yet another long wait, but it would be worth it in the end. Lumière truly was a man of his word, and she loved him for it. Soon, she would get her answer, all in good time.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two 

Babette sighed as she reached the end of the West Wing corridor, her duster under one arm and rags and polish under the other. Knocking on the nursery door gently, she waited for a reply, but received none. Opening the door a bit, she breathed with relief when she found no one inside. Belle must have been sitting with the baby elsewhere. Good, she could get the room cleaned in peace. The faster she could get her work done, the sooner she could get downstairs to the servants' quarters for some juicy, distracting gossip.

But as was her luck lately, no sooner had she started cleaning than Alexandre's piercing cry shattered the calm from the room next door. At a mere couple of months old, the new heir to the royal line undoubtedly rivaled his father in terms of loudness. Babette groaned with frustration, bidding any pleasant thoughts of relaxation farewell; she would never get her work done now.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Belle opened the door and was startled a bit by Babette's unexpected presence in the room.

"My apologies, your highness," Babette said quickly. "I can always come back later."

Belle shook her head, rocking Alexandre tenderly in her arms before placing him in the bassinet. Once in the comfort of snuggly bedding, the baby's cries began to subside as he gradually fell asleep.

"I'm sorry if we disturbed your work," Belle said, sitting in a chair and keeping watch over her son.

"Not at all, your highness," Babette reassured. "You have but to say the word and I can leave."

Belle shook her head with a smile. "Babette, please, in private conversation, call me by name. I don't think I will ever get used to hearing 'your highness' constantly from everyone."

Babette giggled lightly. At least a year of living as royalty had not turned Belle into a stuck-up snoot, thank goodness. "As you wish, so long as Cogsworth knows nothing of it. If he finds out, God help me."

Belle laughed softly. "Just leave him to me," she said. "One of the first things you learn around here is how to handle Cogsworth."

"You could not be more right," Babette replied, before they slipped into silence again. Aside from the fact that Belle was still the princess and she a servant, Babette could not honestly say that she was close to the girl. Admired, _oui_, respected and owed much of her gratitude, without a doubt. If not for Belle, she would practically be dead. But close friendship was an overstatement.

On the other hand, Babette was never one to enjoy complete silence; it was too awkward and uncomfortable.

"Such a nice day for this time of year," she began, nodding towards the window. Not the deepest or most profound statement, but a beginning nonetheless.

"It certainly is; we were just outside," Belle replied in agreement. "Papa and I took Alexandre for a walk in the gardens."

Babette smiled at the thought. Maurice was such a kind man; there was not a soul in the castle who did not enjoy his company. He had come to live there after the wedding, at both Belle and Vincent's insistence. Even then, both father and daughter were very close, everyone knew, and their time together was very precious.

"It must be wonderful to have a father like that," she said. "He really loves you, and it shows."

Belle nodded. "When my mother died, we were all each other had." Her smile grew a little wistful, but still shone bright with adoration. "We both had our dreams, and not once did he stop me from following mine."

Babette offered a half-hearted smile, turning back to her dusting. "Sounds like heaven."

Belle looked at her curiously. "You don't…hear from your family often?" she asked, cautiously, trying not to offend.

"Both my parents are dead," Babette answered, focusing her gaze on the bureau drawer as her duster passed over it. "My mother died of pneumonia when I was twelve. My father…well, for all I know, he is dead as well. The last time I saw him was when I lost my mother. He never wanted to have anything to do with me."

Belle looked at her, appalled. "What do you mean? How could a man not want his own child?" she asked, horror in her tone.

Babette shrugged, laughing ruefully. "When your child was a careless mistake, it has to be pretty easy. But it does not matter. Even if I knew he was alive today, he is dead to me."

Belle immediately grew sympathetic. "I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about it, I understand."

Babette waved a hand dismissively. "How could you have known? I have been used to the idea since I was little; it is, how to say, water under the bridge."

"Is that when you came here?" Belle asked, shifting in her seat to listen.

Babette smiled, setting the duster down and pulling another chair close. Having a captive audience always pleased her. "Not exactly. To put it bluntly, he sent me to a…new family, and I grew up there. I was not born here in this glorious palace or anything dreamy like that."

"Oh, I see. Then how did you come here?" Belle asked with interest.

Babette bit her lip gently, realizing that she was getting herself too deep into a story that she did not want many people to know. "Through a friend," she said vaguely. "I was a little over seventeen, I guess, and…the better opportunity was here."

Sensing that this was all Babette was comfortable saying, Belle finished with one last question. "And despite…you know…has this been the 'better opportunity?'"

"Unquestionably so," Babette replied. "My life was never a glamorous one, but all things considered, it has been very good to me."

Belle smiled warmly. "I know exactly what you mean."

"You do?" Babette asked, raising an eyebrow a bit surprised. "Do not think me rude, but you have practically everything a girl could ever wish for. You have lived your own fairy tale."

"Not always, though," Belle said, shaking her head though her smile never faded. "Papa and I only moved to Molyneaux a few years before we found the castle. I was an outcast from the start."

"You? I do not believe it."

"Well, it's true; I didn't fit in," Belle explained. "I wasn't like them. I always loved to read, but everyone thought that I was strange because of it. I was even told, and I quote: 'It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas and thinking!'"

Babette gaped, surprised. "Whoever in their ignorance came up with that idea, I would like to give them a piece of my mind!"

Belle had to laugh at her tone. "I pity him if he had ever met you."

"A man then? I should have known," Babette snorted.

"Yes, but it wasn't just him," Belle continued. "The whole town was so set in their ideas of how a woman was _supposed_ to act. Any thoughts beyond marriage or raising a family were inappropriate and wrong. Every day when I walked through town, I heard them whispering behind my back about how odd and improper I was. I tried not to pay attention, but it didn't make it any easier to listen to."

Babette nodded, remembering vividly how the townspeople had looked down on her and the other showgirls at _Le Fleur Noir_. "I know that feeling all too well. They think they mean well, but it still hurts. But more than half the time, they just despise what is different altogether. The family I was sent to…well, they were not the most accepted people either. We heard gossip everywhere we went, as though we were condemned criminals."

"Really?" Belle asked, empathizing.

"Really," Babette replied, looking at the princess with new appreciation. Perhaps they had more in common than she had thought. "There was one woman in particular," she continued, much more comfortable than before. "A tailor's wife, who made and mended our dresses, but she never hid her distaste for us at all. Her husband was a bit kinder, but not even he stood up for us much when his wife made her comments."

Belle nodded. "Oh, those gossipy housewives! I know just what you mean." They smiled at each other.

At that moment, Alexandre started to stir and fuss, impatient for his mother's attention.

"It could be me, but I swear his naps are getting shorter," she sighed, holding him close once again, and cooing gently.

"Maybe it is a sign that I should be returning to work?" Babette laughed.

"No, no it's all right," Belle assured her.

Then, Alexandre turned his attention to the new face curiously, and Babette did not even try to resist a smile.

"It is true," she said. "He looks very much like the master himself did when he was born."

"So I've heard," Belle replied, motherly pride present. But growing conspiratorial, she asked, "Was Vincent as much of a handful even then? Tell me honestly."

Babette laughed gently. "_Mon Dieu_, more than you can imagine!" she said. "The first night I ever saw him…I believe it was a day or so after his father had died. I had gone to the West Wing to find Lumière, who had taken on the task on watching over the master for the evening. Not once could we have a moment to ourselves, between Lumière being so worried about him and then the master not going back to sleep. It was so frustrating! It was as though he was _waiting _for us to…occupy ourselves, and just for his own amusement, he chose that _one_ moment to fuss. And it did not get better with age."

Belle shook her head as she joined in the laughing. "That's the world of parenthood for you. You could be doing anything at any time, but when the baby needs you, he comes first."

Babette looked at her curiously. "Is it always as bad as that?"

"I wouldn't call it bad," Belle replied. "It may take a bit of getting used to and it isn't easy sometimes, but it can be the best feeling in the world. There are some days when nothing can be going right, or that it's so quiet and lonely, especially when Vincent is away like he is now. But then I look at Alexandre, and I just feel so much better. Someone needs me this much, and loves me so unconditionally. It's a wonderful feeling."

Babette smirked. "That is one extremely optimistic way of looking at it."

Belle laughed gently. "Perhaps, but it is true."

"It _does_ sound nice," Babette admitted, gazing at Alexandre wistfully. "I have…considered it at least once, but going by past history," she said, holding up her hand to show the ring, "I would much rather worry about _this_ step first."

Belle smiled. "You have nothing to worry about, really. Lumière adores you."

Babette sighed. "I know. But no human male can ever go without hints to get a move on with marriage. You are the most fortunate woman alive not having to go through that."

"Believe me, you are the first thing he talks about when he has the chance," Belle offered reassuringly. "You always were, even under the spell. If he loves you as much as I know he does, he will take the hints soon enough, I know it."

Babette shrugged with a grin. "We shall see."

Upon hearing far too many shouts from Cogsworth downstairs, Babette sighed.

"I really should be getting back to work," she said, clearly hating to do so. "If he catches me, I will never hear the end of it."

Belle nodded. "Absolutely, I understand. Perhaps later when everything is done, we can continue? It's nice to have someone to talk to."

Babette smiled appreciatively. "If you wish, I would like that. Until later then."


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

"Are you positively certain that you will be all right here without me for the day?" Lumière asked, holding up Vincent's coat for him.

The prince slipped it on, looking preoccupied as he adjusted its fit to his satisfaction. Trust was not easily instilled between two people whose past relationship had been one of resentment. From the beginning of this visit with Auguste, Vincent had been on his guard, looking for any sign of heartlessness or power-hungry curiosity. But he had been at Auguste's home in Paris for several days now, and Auguste had not once shown any of the hostility that Vincent knew him so well for. In fact, his uncle had gone above and beyond to welcome him and make up for lost time. They spoke of everything one could imagine two close relatives talking about…except for one thing.

"Master?"

Vincent shook his head, attempting to clear his mind. "What…? Oh, yes, Lumière, I'll be…fine."

Lumière grinned knowingly. "I am hardly convinced."

Vincent laughed ruefully. "Never could fool you, could I?" he replied.

"Not at all. But if you want me to stay, I will. I do not have to go," Lumière reassured.

"No, really, I know this visit means a lot to you," Vincent said, turning to face him. "I can do this on my own. I just wish I knew what to tell him."

Lumière nodded in understanding. Although the prince had told him of the good talks he had had with Auguste, none of them involved the spell, for obvious reasons. Auguste had asked about Vincent's mysterious absence, but Vincent had avoided giving a direct answer, understandably so. For the life of them, Vincent and Lumière could not think of anything that could possibly explain the entire five years.

"Perhaps," Lumière began, "it may be best to tell him the truth then?"

"Oh, absolutely, and then what?" Vincent asked sarcastically. "You watch as he has me dragged away to an insane asylum?"

Lumière sighed. "I know, I know, but what else is there to say?"

Vincent swallowed fretfully, turning to the mirror again. "I don't know. Things are going so well; I don't want to ruin that."

Lumière looked compassionately at the prince's reflection, seeing the familiar fear in Vincent's eyes that lingered from childhood.

"When the time is right, you will know what to say," Lumière said. "You did the same thing that night on the terrace after the romantic evening in the ballroom."

Vincent's face fell. "No, actually I didn't, remember? Belle nearly left forever, and all I told her was to take the mirror as a remembrance of me."

"Ah, but if things were different, you would have said you loved her then and there," Lumière replied, trying to keep optimism alive. Placing a fatherly hand on the prince's shoulder, he said, "I told you then, and I will tell you now: You can do this, master; I know you can. When the time is right, you will tell him the truth."

Vincent turned to him again. Lumière smiled kindly, and slowly, Vincent reflected it.

"We shall see. And thank you," he said appreciatively. A clock tolled the hour in the hallway.

"You had better be going to make it there in time," Vincent said.

"_Très bien_," Lumière agreed. "You know where to send for me, just in case, _oui_?"

Vincent nodded. "Go on now. Enjoy yourself and do not worry."

"Too much," Lumière added, chuckling, as he bowed gracefully out the door.

Vincent glanced at his reflection one last time, inhaling and exhaling deeply before heading to the dining room.

"Ah, there you are, my boy," Auguste called, upon Vincent's entry. "Breakfast was beginning to get cold."

"You could have started without me," Vincent replied, taking a seat. "Time isn't exactly my forte. Without Cogsworth at home, I swear I wouldn't be on time for anything."

Auguste nodded. "He always was a punctual man, I remember. Almost like your own personal clock."

Vincent could not resist a laugh. "You have no idea."

Auguste smiled before they slipped into silence again for a time to eat. Not until he took a millionth sip at his drink did he attempt to speak again. "I'm sorry that I am not the best at conversation. I'm still getting used to the idea of…everything."

"I completely understand," Vincent agreed, sympathizing. He found himself confiding in his uncle. "As I've told you…the idea of family is new to me. Don't get me wrong; Mrs. Potts, Lumière, Cogsworth, everyone has been wonderful, although I was too foolish to notice for so long. But…now I have Belle and Alexandre, a wife and son that I never planned on having in my life, and I'm _still_ wondering if…if…"

"If you'll do it right?"

"Yes, exactly."

Auguste nodded. "You sound just like your father did, both when he married your mother and when they found out she was expecting you."

"Father felt the same way?" Vincent asked curiously, always happy to hear as many stories about his parents as possible.

"Very much so," Auguste confirmed, amused at the memory. "A man may be royalty, but he is always human first. On both occasions, he was exhilarated, but also very nervous, praying he would do things right."

Vincent grinned. "It sounds like I have more in common with him than I could have ever imagined."

Auguste smiled, admittedly choked up a bit. "Believe me, I see a lot of him in you now. I mean it, Vincent." He hesitated, and then pressed on. "I wish you would tell me what it is that happened to you over the past few years. It has indeed transformed you into a new man."

Vincent bit his lip discreetly. Lumière was right earlier; the truth was definitely best. But every explanation he thought of felt strange and wrong.

"Uncle, forgive me," Vincent said. "With all sincerity, I don't want to speak of that right now. I promise you that I will someday, but not yet. As I said, life is very overwhelming, too much so to add more worry into it than need be. When all is settled for sure, we will talk about that. Until then, I need more time. I hope you understand."

Auguste looked at him thoughtfully, marveling at how much Vincent had truly changed. Years ago, they would have been arguing heatedly by now. This new sense of honesty and diplomacy in his nephew's tone was impressive.

"Very well," he agreed. "My only wish is that you feel comfortable here, and therefore, I can wait for this explanation. But I most heartily stand by what I said at the ball. Whatever it was, I'm so very glad to see that it has turned you into a young man that your parents…and I…can be proud of."

Vincent beamed at the praise. "Thank you, that means more to me than you know," he said. If he could not have his parents beside him today, it felt wonderful to be on such good terms with Auguste in their place. His only regret was that he had not made amends sooner. But no longer one to live in the past, he pushed it aside, making room in his heart for more beloved family.

ooo

Lumière looked around the familiar walkway with a smile that rivaled that of a child about to open the finest Christmas gifts. This place still felt as much like home as the castle had. Climbing up the stairs, he knocked happily on the door. An old man answered it, and Lumière's grin widened even more, if that were possible.

"Ah, Germain, still in charge, I see," he said delightedly.

Germain looked at him with confusion. "May I help you, _monsieur_?"

Lumière laughed. "Age must be taking its toll if you do not recognize me, _mon ami!_ Chanlet's only son, the holy terror of this household alongside the young Vicomte?"

Slowly but surely, Germain's bewilderment faded, and he began to smile as well. "Lumière? Oh _mon Dieu_, it can't be!" he cried excitedly.

"Shh-sh-sh!" Lumière chuckled, trying to quiet Germain as the older man stepped aside to let him in. "It is wonderful to see you too, but I would much rather surprise the Vicomte myself."

"Actually, it is Comte now," Germain said quietly. "We lost the elder Comte and Comtesse some time ago, unfortunately. It is a miracle that I have stayed around for so long, but to be honest, I am just not ready to go yet."

"And we are grateful for that!" Lumière insisted. "I do not know what we would have done without you. Aside from Papa, no one else could have kept me under control like you did, and anyone who could do that is a godsend."

"You're right, no one could do what I've done," Germain laughed. "While we missed you around here, I was glad to see that you were never sent back to us, as it meant you were raised and taught well. But enough about us!" he said, leading Lumière to a study. "I shall tell the Comte that you are here; he will be so overjoyed to see you!"

Lumière grinned, looking around the room. Like everything else so far, it had not changed a bit; it was still the comfortable study that he would hide in as a boy, he and…

A soft whimper came from the desk. Never one to resist curiosity, Lumière slowly walked towards it. Kneeling down, he found a distressed little girl, no older than five he guessed, hiding underneath.

"Now, now, what is this?" he asked, startling her. "Do not be afraid, _ma petite_; I simply can not stand to see a pretty girl cry."

The girl made a grand show of sniffling and wiping her precious green eyes. "Who are you?" she sobbed.

"Merely a visitor; a very good friend of mine lives here," Lumière explained with a gentle smile that seemed to ease her a bit. "May I ask why _mademoiselle_ is crying?"

Cautiously, the child crawled out from below the desk as Lumière offered his hand to help her. "I-I can't find my doll! She hates being alone!" she explained fearfully.

"You mean this doll?" came a voice behind them, one that Lumière knew all too well.

While the child jumped up and ran passed him, Lumière beamed to see his greatest of friends, Lucien de Bontecou, standing before him. Their hellos were interrupted by the girl's excitement.

"Papa!" she cried, bouncing around at Lucien's feet as she reached for the doll. "You found her! Let me hold her; she needs me!"

Lucien knelt down to hand the doll to her. "Thank goodness, I found _you_ as well; I swear she was crying for her maman," he said insistently. "Bring her upstairs quickly, give her some hugs, and put her down for a nap. It will make her feel all better."

The child nodded, clutching the doll close to her heart and crooning as she carried her from the room, waving to Lumière before she left.

Once she was gone, Lucien turned back to Lumière, happiness clearly evident in his expression. "Well, well, look who decides to show his face at last!" he laughed, embracing his friend.

Lumière clapped him once on the back before releasing him. "With everything going on in the past year, _mon ami_, I was lucky enough to have this free time!"

"And you decided to spend it here! I am honored," Lucien replied, gesturing him to a chair. "Do you want anything to drink? Eat?"

Lumière smirked. "_Non, merci_. I have to go back to the servant's life after this. I do not want to be so spoiled after playing the guest for once. However, a glass of good wine would be nice…if it is still hidden in the same place."

"Indeed it is," Lucien confirmed, racing to the desk and taking out a bottle and glasses from a larger drawer. "Good to know that you have not strayed too far from your roots."

"More that I still remember them after everything that has happened," Lumière countered quietly as Lucien handed a glass to him.

"I can imagine," Lucien agreed, following suit in volume. "I am just as happy as you are that it is over. It was so difficult not knowing what was happening to you after that one day."

Lumière nodded in agreement. A few months after the spell was cast, Lucien had come to the castle, worried for his friend, and was therefore the only person outside the castle who knew anything of what had transpired there. Lumière had made him swear, however, that he would tell no one of what he had seen, for the safety of all. It was not an easy time for either of them.

"Well, we made it out of that mess alive, as you can see," Lumière replied happily in conclusion to the memory. "But what about you? You must have far more interesting tales to tell, being a father now."

Lucien laughed lightly. "Indeed, rescuing lost toys and seeing the children through their studies: the story of my life for nineteen years."

"Nineteen?" Lumière asked with a smirk. "Your daughter looks very young for her age then."

"Very funny," Lucien replied, rolling his eyes. "But seriously, there are three more, heading fast into adulthood: Armand, my eldest, at nineteen, then Thierry and Matthieu, at fifteen and thirteen respectively. My little Rachelle, whom you just met, turned five last month."

"Eight years after the previous one? Why was that?" Lumière asked curiously, sipping his wine.

"Let us say that she was…unexpected," Lucien explained. "Nicolette had difficulties with Matthieu, and we managed to be careful. After eight years of nothing, we found out about Rachelle, and I was on the edge of insanity worrying about it. I do not know what I would do without Nicolette, but thankfully, both made it through."

"Thankfully, indeed," Lumière agreed. "Rachelle seems an absolute delight. She apparently adores you."

"As much I do her," Lucien confirmed. "There have been rough moments, but it is worth it."

"Rough moments?"

Lucien nodded with a grin. "It is called fatherhood, my friend, and it can be as much a curse as it is a blessing! Worrying about Nicolette when she was carrying the children, babies crying through the night – we were both exhausted for _months_ after each one was born! Believe me, it's impossible to have any romance with a newborn in the house!" he laughed. "And then as they get older, they fight over toys, they have tantrums…"

Lumière hardly heard the remaining details. The idea of being a father had appealed to him before, but now what he was envisioning was terrifying. The vivid image of screaming matches between the children, Babette snapping at him to help her get them under control…or else just snapping in general because of the stress it would cause. _Dieu_, her mood could change easily with him on a _good_ day; this could only bring something a hundred times worse!

He remembered caring for Vincent when he was born. The young prince did always manage to interrupt any few precious moments that he and Babette had…but at least then there were others to care for him as well, each taking a turn day and night. Having their own children would be _their_ responsibility alone, and then they might as well wish their intimacy _au revoir_ forever!

Seeing Lumière's horrified expression, Lucien could not resist a laugh. "But I am not helping by telling you that, am I? Considering that you yourself have yet to settle down."

"Do not mention that," Lumière warned. "Or else I shall be forced to believe that Babette sent word ahead to involve you in her scheming!"

Lucien smiled knowingly. "Trying to saddle the wild horse, is she?"

"Persistently."

"And he refuses to let her…why?"

Lumière stared at his glass, swirling the wine distractedly. "Because."

"That isn't an answer."

Lumière sighed. "The past year has been madness," he said. "We are all still adjusting to this enormous change in our lives, now that the spell is broken…why rush into _another_ big change so soon? Life at home is only starting to feel normal again now. It is a lot of work, and still, every other day or so, she is asking me when we will be married, which is even _more_ work."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Lumière, you forget who you are talking to," Lucien said. "You can not fool me. When have you ever allowed work to stand entirely in the way of your personal affairs? Knowing Babette, she would not insist on anything grand and spectacular; she would just want you to marry her already."

Lumière was silent for a moment. "I-I am not ready," he said quietly, feeling a bit guilty for what he was about to say. "I love her with all my heart; she is my entire life. We were always so perfectly content with how things were, but now she wants to get married…and it feels so _final_. As though I was being told, 'This is it; this is where life has led you. Congratulations, you are done'.

"I want the best for her, you know that; she deserves it unquestionably," he went on. "But marriage is another responsibility that I can not handle right now. It would not be fair to promise myself to her like that if I feel this way. I proposed to her years ago; she knows that I am not going to leave her. But it has to wait."

Lucien nodded in understanding. "I see what you are saying, _mon ami_, but consider one thing: how much longer can _she_ wait?"

Lumière smirked. "She waited for _you_."

"Do not avoid the question," Lucien warned. "You are not going to get any younger simply because you are not married, and neither will Babette. But while you want to wait, who is to say that she does too? How long will it take before she has had enough of patience?

"Besides that, remember that you have a choice here. I love Nicolette; I was fortunate enough to have her chosen for me as my wife. But not every man is as lucky as we are. Marry Babette before she slips through your fingers; do not be foolish and lose her out of fear."

Lumière sighed. Lucien had a point, but Lumière could not shake his own feelings. He nodded to appease his friend, but he knew that this time, he would have to handle this his own way.

In the hall, however, interrupting his thoughts, the two friends heard voices, and Lucien smiled.

"Nicolette is back, right on time from her own visit," he said. "I'm sure she will be just as happy to see an old friend as much as I am. Besides, you still have to meet the boys. What do you say? Shall we take a break from the seriousness?"

Lumière smiled, grateful for his understanding. "By all means, lead on."

ooo

If it wasn't Lumière lazing about, then it was Babette, Cogsworth thought angrily as he found the woman herself sleeping on a chaise in the downstairs sitting room. Irritated, he cleared his throat, causing her to wake up groggily.

"I do not remember giving you consent to sleep," he said.

Babette rubbed her eyes, hardly apologetic. "I just needed a few minutes to rest; I have not been feeling well lately."

"Rest is one thing; sleep is another," he scolded disapprovingly. "On top of that, why was I not informed that you were expecting a visitor?"

Babette looked at him, confused. "Because _I_ had no idea myself. Who is it?"

"He didn't give a name, but I showed him to the servants' quarters. He is waiting for you there; make it a short visit."

Babette nodded, rolling her eyes subtly. Rising from the chaise and stretching a bit, she made her way downstairs. For the life of her, she could not imagine who her visitor was, even as she opened the door quietly, wanting a glimpse of him before entering the room. He was sitting by the window staring out, an older man with gray hair and dark eyes, she observed. She tried imagining him years younger to account for the spell, but her mind continued to draw a blank.

"_Monsieur_?" she called, closing the door behind her as she entered the room.

The man turned to her, a look of awe about his face, and admittedly, Babette was taken aback. It was clear that he must have known her, and now seeing him clearly, something about him did seem familiar. When he said nothing, she continued.

"I was told that someone was looking for me," she said.

"Babette," he said softly, rising from the chair to come closer. "_Dieu_, look at you. I stay away for far too long, and you grow into a beautiful woman without me, more so than I could ever have imagined."

She raised a curious eyebrow. "My apologies, but…have we met before?" she asked slowly.

The man stopped at her words. "You don't remember me?"

"I can not honestly say that I do, _non_."

The man lowered his gaze. "I guess I shouldn't have expected you to," he said, his voice pained. "We haven't seen each other in years, after all, and I'm sure that you had no trouble forgetting about me, especially after those whores at _Le Fleur Noir_ must have encouraged it." He took a deep breath to keep emotion at bay before looking at her adoringly again. "But I'm here now, and that is what matters. I can make up for all of our lost time."

When he stroked her cheek, Babette hastily took a step back. "_Monsieur_, I have not worked as a Fleurette in years, and even when I did, I was a dancer, not a whore. I never took any man to my room so carelessly. If that is what you want, you have wasted your time. Show yourself out."

"What? No, not at all!" he replied quickly, following her as she headed for the door. "I just meant that the last time I saw you was at the dance hall, when you were just a little girl…when I left you there like the fool I was."

Babette halted at the door, her breath stopping short. Turning to face him, she stared at him in disbelief. "What…did you say?"

The man smiled, seeing that he had hit upon a memory. "I brought you to _Le Fleur Noir_ when you were twelve," he said. "Babette, _ma fille_…I'm your father, Adrien."


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: Trudi, this chapter is as much yours as it is mine; thank you so much for all your help!__

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_Chapter Four_

Babette stared at him in complete disbelief. "You…you are…"

Adrien nodded. "Your father, yes."

"What…how did you…why…?"

Adrien reached for her hand. "Maybe it's a good idea if you sit down to think this through; I know it is a shock."

Babette tore her hand away from him, coming to her senses. "Do not touch me," she snarled. "If you truly know what is good for you, you will leave immediately!"

Adrien lowered his head, shamefully. "I knew it was too good to be true," he said. "I shouldn't have expected much. I do not deserve any chances. What was I thinking?"

All right, that was a bit unexpected, Babette thought. From what she remembered, Adrien was always more of the type to storm off angrily when things did not go his way. When Babette was younger, her mother, Celie, would argue with him, he would snarl that he didn't need this aggravation and head out the door, ignoring her when she begged him to stay.

Cautiously watching him, as though he would attack if she turned away, Babette gestured him to a chair. "You have five minutes," she warned, sitting in another chair. "Make it quick. What are you doing here?"

"Trying to make up for the worst mistake of my life," Adrien explained. "You don't know how long I've been looking for you, _ma fille_."

"Do not play games with me," Babette snapped. "You seriously want me to believe that after all these years, you decide out of the blue that you want to see me again? You made it perfectly clear that night at _Le Fleur Noir_ that you wanted nothing to do with me."

Adrien winced, as though pained by the memory. "I know," he said mournfully, guilt abundant in his expression and tone. "I don't blame you for despising me. I was a terrible man."

"A complete understatement if I ever heard one."

"I know, I know," he replied, hiding his face on folded hands. "There is nothing I can do that will change any of the mistakes I made, no words strong enough for me to apologize."

Babette stared at him, thoughtfully silent. Why now, why at this moment, after all this time, did he want to claim her forgiveness?

"You could not do this years ago?" she asked aloud.

Adrien shook his head. "I'm a changed man, _ma petite_," he admitted. "For years, I wasted time and money on things that were unimportant. I was such an ass, looking for any and every way to avoid thinking about what I did wrong in my life…yet all my efforts at distraction only made it worse. You haunted my thoughts, Babette. I know I should've looked for you sooner – you, the only important person that should've been in my life – but I was so ashamed. Unfortunately, when I finally _did_ work up the courage to return to the hall, you were gone, and the…" He stopped, as if biting back the word he was about to say, then went on, "…_ladies_ there refused to tell me where you were."

"Can you blame them?" she muttered, sarcastically, still not entirely convinced.

"Not at all," he said. He looked up into her eyes, seemingly sincere. "But I begged them to, and with every refusal, my heart sank deeper and deeper into despair. All I wanted was to see my little girl again, just once, in attempt to right the wrongs that I had made."

"Then how did you know I was here?"

"I asked around everywhere, every chance I could," he explained. "Each day, I failed, no matter how desperately I asked. Then finally, as though by some miracle, I met a coachman who told me that years ago, he had taken a young woman who looked just as I described from _Le Fleur Noir_ to the Prince's castle. It was a long shot, but I had to take the chance. Lo and behold, I found you."

He reached to take her hands in his, his voice choked with emotion. "And may the Lord be thanked for it. I was so terrified that I would die old and alone, with the agonizing guilt of never being able to see you again, never able to apologize for everything I did to you. I am so, _so_ sorry, _ma fille_, so very sorry. You can't imagine how much I regret it all."

He waited for a response, but got none. Apparently taking her silence as a negative reaction, Adrien sadly stood up to leave. "I don't know what else I can say to convince you. But I want you to know…that I can now rest peacefully, if not happily, having been given at least the chance to see you. You don't want me here, and I completely understand. I do not deserve your forgiveness."

With those words, he bent down to kiss her cheek, something he had never done, not even when Babette was little…something that she, as a child, had always wished for. A tiny moment of true affection between father and daughter instead of the uncaring pat on the head that she received. Babette bit her lip uncertainly. She could not shake her ill feelings so easily…but at the same time, she did not want to let any opportunity pass her by. Was it really true? Was she finally going to have the loving father she'd longed for all her life?

"Wait," she called, as he was leaving. She stood to find him at the door, waiting for her to speak. "Perhaps…you could stay here for a few days, at least to rest. It is not an easy trip from Paris to here. There are many unused rooms here; I am sure it would not be a problem for you to stay in one of them."

Adrien's eyes lit up, as thought he had been given a wonderful, unexpected present. He laughed gently, another thing she had never seen him do before. "I will most definitely take what I can get, especially if it means making up for lost time."

Babette nodded slowly. "I have work to do right now, but I will help you settle in first. Dinner is in the servants' quarters around seven o'clock, once the master and mistress have finished eating. I would…like for you to join me."

"I myself would love that, very much," he agreed with a smile. "And I really do appreciate the second chance."

"We shall see about that," Babette concluded. "For now, follow me."

ooo

Over the next few days, Babette slowly found her suspicions melting away, and her hopes soared. She had to admit that she was actually enjoying Adrien's company. He was warm, kind, loving, interested in hearing all about her, wanting to make up for lost time…everything that she had dreamed of as a lonely child, but thought she would never have.

"I did not know what to believe at first," she explained to Belle, who had invited Babette on her daily walk with Alexandre. "But when I start to scold myself for trusting him, he pleasantly surprises me somehow: a word, an action, something that is nothing like what I would expect from him. I do not know what it is, but that is certainly not the man that I knew as a child."

"That is so good to hear!" Belle said, truly happy for her friend. "I have to say, you do seem a lot happier lately, which is a wonderful thing."

Babette laughed. "Because I _feel_ happier. It is as though this is a sign that things really will be well in the end. I love everyone here, as they are very much my family. But now – oh, now is even more glorious, making amends with the last remaining true family I have left! Life just feels so…complete."

"And it will only get better, I'm sure!" Belle agreed wholeheartedly.

ooo

Meanwhile, watching from the window above, Adrien smirked at the sight. When two women talked together, they could go on for hours, and he doubted his daughter was any different. Perfect – just enough time to get a closer look at this promisingly rich castle without having to put on a loving smile for her benefit.

Silently, he opened the door and looked out into the hallway. Good, no one in sight nearby. Closing the door behind him, he began to explore, casually at first, very much the vision of a curious guest intrigued by his surroundings.

No one appeared, and soon he grew bolder. He could not suppress a grin of victory as he cautiously went from room to room, combing through every drawer, box and nook he could find and mentally noting what could be valuable and not missed. There had to be something in this place that could pay off every debt he still owed this late in his life, and make a profit besides!

And of all people, he had his daughter to thank for it. Having heard from sources still lurking around _Le Fleur Noir_ about Babette's raised station in life, working for the prince and princess themselves, Adrien knew that there would be something in it for him. Thankfully, Babette had inherited Celie's naïve and trusting nature, taking him in after a few promising words, and here he was, amidst a gold mine of possibilities! Who would have thought after all these years, his biggest mistake would truly be worth something?

As the servants then began to fill the halls for work, Adrien ceased his efforts. Better to lay low, not seem _too_ interested. After all, he had found enough of what he was looking for. All he needed now was to watch and wait for the perfect opportunity to follow through with his plan.

ooo

Babette smiled as she brought two lunch plates to the servants' quarters, seeing Adrien waiting there for her.

"As always, the finest dishes that France has to offer," she said, taking a seat.

Adrien grinned, immediately digging right in. "Absolutely! My compliments to the staff; this is much better than anything I've had in years."

"It is all in the planning," Babette explained. "Even when he is away, Lumière, the maitre d', sees to it that everything is perfectly planned out, not only for the master and mistress, but something for us as well. He is a culinary genius."

Adrien raised a teasing eyebrow. "You've talked so highly of him for the past few nights," he said curiously. "Is he someone I should know more about?"

Babette laughed gently. "Maybe," she said sweetly. "With any good luck…you could be gaining a son very soon."

"Ah, so that's it then!" he replied, smiling. "In that case, I will certainly stay as long as I must to be here the moment he gets back. I want to be absolutely sure that he is perfect for my only child."

Babette smiled hopefully. "You…really intend to stay longer?"

"Of course, as long as you'll have me," Adrien said, reaching to cover her hand with promise. "I didn't come all this way for nothing, silly girl! Besides, I haven't seen enough of you as I hoped I would, but that is understandable with your working so hard."

Babette offered a guilty half-smile. "I know, it is not easy," she said.

"Well, you can take a small break right now, can't you?" he asked. "I wander around this place all day, but I would love it if I could get the true tour from my little girl."

Babette thought it over for a moment. This was the only time that Cogsworth willingly permitted the servants any time to rest; maybe a small tour was not such a bad idea.

"_Très bien_," she agreed giddily, taking his hand as he finished his meal. "A tour, it is! Come on!"

For the rest of the afternoon, Babette showed him around, trying to remember little details that Cogsworth went on about to appear as knowledgeable as possible. Adrien nodded at each sight and marveled, quite impressed, praising her and telling her how much of a proud father he was. Babette, always one to love attention, basked happily in the glory.

Upon reaching the West Wing corridor, however, Adrien looked puzzled when they did not enter a pair of doors at the end of the hallway.

"Wait, we skipped that room," he laughed, slipping away to go back to them. "What's in there?"

"We can not go in there," Babette explained, following him. "Those are the Prince and Princess' personal rooms. No one is allowed inside without permission, not even the servants."

Adrien's eyes lit up. "Ah, the Prince and Princess' own private chambers, eh?" he mused, almost to himself. "I can understand them not wanting visitors in there." Looking at Babette playfully, he whispered, "Come now, one little peek!"

Babette smiled, but shook her head. "_Non_, we can not."

Adrien pouted teasingly, but seeing her so steadfast in her decision, he grinned. "Oh, all right. I guess you didn't succeed here by breaking the rules."

The clock tolled the next hour.

"And one of those being that you keep at your work without me to distract you," he said with a forlorn smile. "I have seen enough for now, and don't want to get you in trouble."

Babette grinned. "We could always continue later on."

"I would love that," Adrien replied, pulling her into a hug. "_Merci, ma fille,_ for a wonderful afternoon. I'm so proud of you."

Babette tightened her hold. "I am always happy to hear you say that. _Je t'aime_ Papa…"

ooo

"Babette! Where are you? I need to speak with you!"

Babette looked up from where she was polishing a small set of statues from the mantle in the main sitting room. "In here, Cogsworth!" she called, as the man himself appeared in the doorway seconds later.

"Oh thank goodness!" he said breathlessly, walking towards her. "Important…important problem…asked everyone…I think I should sit."

"_Oui_, you should," she said, gesturing to a chair. "Now, take a deep breath, and tell me what is wrong."

Cogsworth did as she suggested before he spoke again. "Did you do any cleaning in the West Wing today? While the mistress was taking the young master for their usual walk around the grounds?"

"_Non_, it was not my day to do so," she replied. "Why, what has happened?"

"A few select items are missing," he said. "The mistress' locket that belonged to her mother, as well as some of her other jewelry pieces, and the master's gold watch, the priceless one that has been in his family for years."

Seeing the look of horror on her face, he quickly added, "Not to imply that you took them, of course. I simply wish to know if you saw them, possibly while you were cleaning, but if you were not in the West Wing, then I suppose not. I just have to find them!"

"I will help you look, I promise," Babette replied. "Just relax and keep searching, all right?"

"Right, thank you; remember, should you find them, bring them to me immediately!" he said, practically jumping from the chair to continue his frantic search.

Babette bit her lip nervously. Everyone in the castle knew better than to attempt theft, especially with someone in charge like Cogsworth, who noticed everything that was out of place. It seemed far too coincidental that so soon after Adrien had appeared, such valuable things had suddenly vanished. She did not want to believe it, not now when things were getting better between them, but what other explanation was there? He _had_ mentioned in passing a few times that he was not doing well financially…but then he had never asked her for any money. On the other hand, that would have given away any act he was pulling, and therefore stealing would be easier…

Attempting to be rational, she decided not to jump to conclusions yet. Adrien was having lunch in the servants' quarters, she knew. For everyone's sanity, she headed towards her room where all she would have to do is check his bag and prove to herself that he was innocent. That was all, not a big deal. She would simply check, no harm in that.

At the door, she halted, grasping the doorknob firmly in her hand, afraid to turn it. What if…what if she _did_ find the items in his bag? What would she do then? She took her hand away momentarily. Everything was going so well, and she did not want to see it all ruined…

No, she had to look. Whether she found the items or not, it was the right thing to do. Hastily, she grabbed the knob again and turned it, listening as the door creaked open.

Babette stared at the bag for a long while before she found all the courage she needed to actually go near it, let alone touch it. Taking a deep breath, she knelt down beside it. Opening it swiftly, she sifted through his clothes…when her hand hit upon something hard, making a clinking sound as she felt around it. She felt her throat constrict, making it hard for her to swallow or breathe, as she pulled out a smaller, wrapped bundle.

Her cheeks were wet, her heart pounding furiously, and she had not even opened the bundle yet. It was not true; he was innocent as long as she did not open the bundle. Her hand shook violently as she unwrapped it, finding everything Cogsworth had described: the watch, the jewelry. Placing them gently on the floor, she covered her face in her hands, praying that she would just wake up, that this betrayal was all a nightmare…

"What are you doing?"

At first, Babette startled, having not heard anyone enter the room, but her eyes narrowed angrily on Adrien as she saw him in the doorway.

"What…am _I_ doing?" she asked, her voice quiet and threatening. "What are _you_ doing with these in your bag?" She held up the items for him to see. "What possessed you to do such a thing? I should call Cogsworth at once!"

Adrien looked taken aback for a moment. Then he smiled ingratiatingly, spreading his hands wide. "Babette, _ma fille_, don't overreact. It's merely a trifle! You _know_ my finances are…not in a good state. The truth is, my sweet, I'm in serious trouble. I'll be sent to debtor's prison if I don't pay up soon! I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't in dire need, believe me. And the prince and princess are _so _wealthy – they'll never even _miss _these few little knick-knacks." His smile widened as he reached out and stroked her hair. "You wouldn't want to get your own dear father in trouble, would you? Now that we've finally found each other, after so long?"

Babette hesitated. Adrien, still smiling, reached out for the bag. "Now, just be a good girl and give that to me…"

Babette immediately took a step back, holding it out of his reach. "No," she said firmly, her voice cold.

Adrien's smile vanished. His expression hardened. "Give me that bag. _Now."_

"_Non." _Seeing him reach for her, she added, "If you even try to touch me, I swear to God, I will scream."

Adrien stopped dead in his tracks. "Babette, do not be foolish!"

"I already was the day I let you stay here!" she snarled. "I trusted you; I really thought that you wanted to make peace between us, to be the only real family I have left! But you _lied_ to me! Everything you said was a complete _lie_!"

"Stop acting like a martyr!" he countered, dropping the act. "You are no better than your mother! She was always whining and pestering me when she didn't get her way, always turning on the tears to get me to do what she wanted! Good for nothing except in bed, and even there, she was stupid enough to get pregnant!"

"You bastard!" she cried irately, not even taking into consideration that Adrien was much stronger than she was as she threw the bag on the bed and lunged at his throat. He easily pried her strangle hold off him, but she relentlessly threw both her fists at him. "She loved you! Despite everything, she absolutely loved you until the day she died! But you never even gave her the time of day she deserved!"

Adrien grasped her wrists, so tightly that Babette cringed painfully. "Because she didn't deserve anything! I did her a favor by showing up every now and then, making it look like she still had a bit of decency left in her!"

"And then you ravaged her every chance you had, you son of a whore!"

"You should know, being the daughter of one," Adrien growled, shoving her roughly to the ground. "I knew it wasn't worth the trouble finding you."

Grabbing his bag, he quickly raced for the hallway. Babette rose to her feet, running after him as she screamed for someone to stop him. Two footmen nearby leapt at him, tackling him to the ground, as most of the house came running. Belle appeared, hearing the commotion. Seeing Babette's tear-stained face, she ran to Babette's side, while Cogsworth made his way towards the footmen handling Adrien.

"What is going on in here?" Cogsworth shouted.

Babette glared at Adrien accusingly. "Search his bag, and you will have found your thief."

One of the footmen handed it to Cogsworth, who gaped at everything he found inside. "Sir, what is the meaning of this?" he shouted. "Do you realize whose property you dared to pilfer?" He turned to the footmen. "Lock this man in the tower. He shall be dealt with properly when the master returns."

Adrien fought against his captors, before he turned his gaze on Babette. "Say something, won't you? Not even you would let this happen to your own father!"

Babette glared at him coldly. "I do not have a father; I never did. You said so yourself, when you abandoned me."

Once Adrien was out of sight, Cogsworth moved to her other side. "You made the right decision, thank you," he said encouragingly.

"_Non_…"

Belle touched her shoulder consolingly. "He's right, it was very brave of – "

"I do not care! Just leave me alone!"

Babette tore herself away, running as fast as she could. She could not stay there, nor could she go back to her room. Both places were still too painful. The only other place she could go, the one door that was always open to her was Lumière's room. Slamming the door shut, she threw herself onto the bed, pulling a pillow close and crying into it.

If there was anything she should have learned in her life, it was that trusting men was a mistake, and Adrien was the most dishonest man she had ever known. She was the only one at fault here for actually giving him a second chance, believing in his false flattery and charm. She should have known better. Every night since he had abandoned her, a small part of her had hoped that he would come back, but knew deep down that if he ever did that it would be best to turn him away.

Curling up like a child, Babette cried herself to sleep.

ooo

The weary travelers returned later that night. Lumière automatically went to help carry his master's bags, but Vincent stopped him.

"Lumière, go rest," he said. "I can get help here."

"Master, it is not any trouble," Lumière replied. "You know as well as I that being a servant comes first."

"Yes, and you have been that, as well as a far greater friend on this trip," Vincent countered. "You deserve a rest." He paused, grinning with a mixture of teasing and compassion. "Besides, I have taken you away from Babette long enough. Go to her."

Lumière beamed at the thought. Graciously saying goodnight, he took his own belongings and raced up the stairs to his room. Once he put down his bags and closed the door, he lit the candle on a bedside table, unexpectedly finding Babette sleeping in his bed. Smiling gently, he kicked off his shoes and hung up his coat before sitting on the bed's edge, gazing at her.

Feeling his movement, Babette stirred slightly, blinking a bit as she awoke.

"I wish I could say _bon matin_, but there are still many hours before the sun rises," Lumière whispered.

Babette looked at him, wide-eyed as her focus finally settled into place, and she bolted upward to embrace him. "Lumière, _mon Dieu_, you are back!" she exclaimed, paying little heed to volume.

Lumière laughed softly. "Missed me that – ?"

He did not even make it to the last word as Babette's mouth covered his with a kiss of such urgency and passion that Lumière was taken aback at first. However, never one to complain, his own passion rose to meet what seemed a new challenge.

But when he felt her snake her hands between them, quickly undoing the buttons on his vest and then his shirt, he tried to slow her down.

"Babette," he gasped, muffled against her lips that would not release him. "Wait…too fast…take it easy…"

She did not listen, pushing both garments aside, expertly stroking his bared shoulders and chest. Slipping out of her dress and camisole, she gathered his hands, encouraging him to do the same to her.

"Hold me…touch me," she murmured unrelentingly.

Lumière swallowed, his breathing already uneven, but he pulled back, gripping the sheets to restrain himself. Something did not feel right. This was not like her at all. Normally, she was so playful and flirtatious, teasing him, savoring each moment. This time, there was a sense of desperation and forcefulness that made him concerned.

"Babette, please," he said firmly, turning away from her. If he did not look at her, then he would not lose control. "What is this? What is wrong?"

But Babette was just as determined as he was. Fully disrobing, she crawled up from behind, wrapping her arms around him.

"Nothing is wrong," she whispered, her warm breath blowing in his ear. Moving around him to sit in his lap, pressing herself against him, she held his gaze intensely. "Tell me…"

Lumière could not hold back a strangled moan. All questions, doubts, and reasoning were gone. When he could, he would ask her again, but for now, he was all hers.

"Anything, _ma plumette_," he gasped.

"Tell me that you love me…"

"You know I do; more than anything in the world."

Sliding back to the head of the bed with him in tow, Babette made herself comfortable against the pillows, taking a deep breath. "Then come here and show me how much," she murmured.

Babette held him tightly to her as he willingly obeyed. Lumière was a passionate, ardent lover, and yet always caring and gentle. Right now, that was exactly what she needed. Warm in his loving embrace, she pushed aside thoughts of the crushing deceit and betrayal that Adrien, her own father, had given her in this horrible past week, and the empty promises of men that he had brought upon her by sending her to _Le Fleur Noir_. Lumière was home, and she was safe.

Hours later, when their energy was spent, Lumière collapsed, breathing heavily as Babette snuggled close beside him. He wrapped his arm around her lovingly, kissing her soft, dark hair before interlocking her fingers with his free hand and lavishing his kisses there.

"I missed you so much," Babette whispered. "The week was unbearable without you."

With his mind returned to reality, Lumière decided to try his questioning again. "So I gathered," he said. "But what happened to make it so terrible?"

"I am never happy when you are gone."

"Besides that," Lumière insisted, which made her grow silent. "Something is…not quite right, _mon amour_. Talk to me, tell me what it is."

"Really, it was nothing." But when he looked at her, unconvinced, Babette sighed defeated. "My…my father was here. He arrived the day after you left."

Lumière looked at her, shocked. "Your father? What did he want? Why did you not send for me?" he asked, his strong protective nature taking over. Babette had briefly told him early on about her father, and at least knowing what kind of man he was, Lumière regretted not being there with her.

Tears once again took hold of Babette for the millionth time that day, and she scolded herself for showing such weakness. "He tricked me into letting him stay here when all he wanted was something valuable to make money off of," she sobbed. "He said he wanted to make up for everything he had ever done, acted as though he truly cared…and I believed him! I was really stupid enough to believe him!"

"Shh, no, stop that nonsense now," Lumière crooned tenderly. "It was his fault for being so heartless, not yours. It is too fortunate for him that I was not here; he would not have left the castle alive!"

Babette held onto him tightly, gasping a bit for air between sobs. "Lumière, tell me that you love me, please?" she begged, looking at him with the eyes of a child after a wretched, vivid nightmare. "You love me, and you always will, tell me!"

Lumière sat up with her, gently gripping her face in his hands. "Of everything I hold dearest in my heart, Babette, you know you come first. I love you so much that are no words strong enough to describe it. Look at all we have been through together. Not once have I left you, and I never will. I love you, worship and adore you, no matter what, _comprends_?"

Babette smiled gently, nodding.

"Ah there it is, that gorgeous smile," he said, stroking a finger over her lips. "How could anyone not like it? In this case, very appropriately, it is like the sun shining through the storm, so warm and beautiful. Never seen another like it." He paused to wrap her in his arms, drawing her back to loving comfort against the pillows. "Come here, _ma plumette_; get some sleep. I will not let anything hurt you again."

Babette followed his lead, yawning gently as he drew a blanket around him. But she needed nothing more than his embrace to be happy. Lumière, her wonderful, beloved Lumière…he loved her, just the way she was, and he always would.


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

As the weeks went on, life outwardly seemed to be normal. But inside, Babette found herself increasingly haunted by thoughts of Adrien, brought on by his terrible visit. All her old childhood pain at being abandoned and unwanted came surging to the surface after so many years. She hated feeling this way, so weak and worthless from fear of memories that could never be changed.

Fearful and insecure, Babette longed more than ever for the stability and security of marriage, something that Adrien had never given her mother. She remembered how Celie would ask and beg Adrien to stay with her, marry her so that they could be a small family, but he would dismissively put her off with sweet words and promises. Sweet, but untrue. He never intended to follow through with any of them.

Now Babette dreamed of being married to Lumière – proof that he truly loved her, would love her forever and would never, ever leave. She wanted a home, a family…most of all, commitment. But as time passed, she was frightened to see worrying signs of history repeating itself. Since that night, Babette had continued her pleas for Lumière to marry her at last, and each time, he gave the same excuse of needing more time. At first, she had scolded herself, knowing full well how much he loved her, one thing that Adrien never felt for Celie. But after many more refusals, Babette grew more anxious and doubtful by the day. With every insistent plea, Lumière not only pushed the idea aside, but he began getting annoyed with her for bothering him about it, something completely unlike him…but all too much like her father.

As if all of that was not enough, Babette still did not feel well. Before Adrien arrived, she was tired and sometimes nauseous, but it always subsided. All she had to do was take a brief rest and then get back to work. The only nuisance that brought about was Cogsworth's fussing if he caught her in the middle of a break, and therefore not a big concern.

But the sickness did not go away, and even more alarming was the second absence of her monthly bleeding. One did not scare her; it could happen, as women got older perhaps. Twice, though, was a completely different story.

That is what brought her to the door of a village home one afternoon, pulling her hood lower and her cloak tightly around her after knocking on the door. An elderly woman answered it, unaffected by the sight of a stranger.

Babette made a weak attempt to smile. "Madame Saget?" she asked, as the woman nodded. "I…am in need of your help."

Saget nodded again understandingly when Babette gestured to her midsection. "Of course, _mademoiselle_, please come in," she said, moving aside to let Babette in before she shut the door.

Taking a money purse from her cloak, Babette handed it to her, asking quietly, "And no one will ever know I was here, _oui_?"

Saget accepted it, subtly weighing it in her hand. "Know about what?" she asked with a conspiratorial grin. "Come with me."

Babette followed her to a room. Once inside, she placed her cloak aside before obeying Saget's order to change and then lie down on a small bed.

"It has been a while since you felt well?" the woman asked, prodding and examining Babette's middle.

"Too long a 'while,'" she replied, her voice shaking. "Nothing so simple as a stomach ache and tiredness should last for weeks without a reason."

"Indeed," Saget answered, taking special interest in a lower area. "When was the last time you bled?"

"Two months ago."

"That certainly explains it then," Saget concluded, taking her hands away. "You have a little bundle of joy on the way, about three months along already."

Babette laid still, her face emotionless. But it did not take long for her to sit up and give way to tears, surprised that she still had any left after all that had happened to her.

She felt Saget's hand at her shoulder as the elder woman offered her a handkerchief.

"This isn't good news?" she asked knowingly, apparently having seen women in the same situation before.

Babette bit her lip uncertainly. "Not…just yet," she said. "It still could be."

Saget shook her head. Young girls and love, there was no cure for it. "Well, I hope he feels the same way that you do," she said.

"I hope so too," Babette said softly, redressing quickly before returning to the carriage.

ooo

The very instant that she arrived home, Babette hurried inside to find Lumière. But as the clock tolled five, she groaned realizing that her chances of speaking to him were slim to none at all. This week's guests of honor, the Spanish ambassador and his family, had arrived that day, and after such a long trip, they would certainly be famished. Every member of the kitchen and serving staff would be going mad to make dinner go smoothly, Lumière definitely being one of them.

But heaving a great sigh of determination, Babette headed for the kitchen anyway. Courtesy and understanding be damned. This was not a moment of impatience; it was an emergency. Lumière's staff was quite capable of doing things without him; he could spare her a few minutes.

Opening the door a tad, she saw him across the room, hastily moving from one matter to the next. When he finally caught sight of her, she waved him over, gesturing that she needed to talk to him. He hesitated, clearly thinking it impossible to do so at present, but she would take nothing but yes for an answer.

"Down the hall; sitting room; now," she mouthed, not even waiting for his response before she headed there herself.

Lumière sighed, shaking his head. Lately, Babette was constantly upset about everything. But she would always pick the wrong times to seek comfort from him, and usually in the form of a reminder about his proposal. Lumière was trying as desperately as he could to be compassionate and caring, but stress was wearing his optimism and patience thin. He could only handle so much, and there was still a lot of work for him to do as dinner fast approached. Nonetheless, if there were any thoughts of his beloved in distress, he would never be able to focus, and that fact alone was what brought him to her side, startling her as he placed his hands on her shoulders comfortingly.

"Forgive me, _amour_," Lumière said. "I did not mean to scare you."

"It is all right; I did not hear you come in," she replied, not turning to look at him.

Lumière smiled, rubbing her shoulders tenderly. "I know, I have not seen you all day, and even now I have to ask that we make this visit a quick one. You know dinner is about to start."

"Dinner can wait."

Noting the short, curt tone in her words, Lumière walked around to face her, seeing right through the false smile she gave him when their eyes met. "Babette, are you all right?"

She lowered her head before looking up at him again. "I will be once we finally settle an important matter that needs discussion."

"Is it something that we can talk about later?" he asked, barely hiding any undertone of impatience from his voice.

"_Non_, right now," she said firmly.

"All right, what is it?"

Babette held his gaze while trying to keep her voice steady. "When will we be married?"

Lumière took a deep breath, running his hand over his face, irritated. "The master and mistress will be in the dining room any minute with their important guests, and you have to bring this up now?"

"If you had married me already, we would not have to have this discussion, would we?" she responded, sarcastically. "I want to know, and after so many years, I _deserve_ to."

"I have told you time and again. How am I supposed to give you the wedding you should have when I have no time to plan it?" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down. "I can hardly get work done around here without feeling as though I am going out of my mind."

Babette took his hands desperately. "_Dieu_, Lumière, I only want _you_! I want to be your wife and have you for my husband. How simple is that? We can run away tonight and see a minister; I do not care!"

Lumière pulled away, rising to pace the length of the chaise. This was not the time to be discussing this, but she would not be happy until she had some sort of satisfying answer. Maybe he should have just told her the truth, how he still really felt about marriage. She loved him; she would understand. Perhaps that would finally keep her content for a while.

"Babette…I just…"

The sounds of Vincent and Belle's voices welcoming their guests to the dining room were heard from down the hall. Feeling both relieved and guilty, Lumière looked at her in desperation.

"Babette, please, I am begging you to understand," he said quietly. "We will talk about this later, but right now, they need me."

He turned for the door, his exit halted only by her angered taunting.

"The royal lapdog, always sure to come when he is called and turning his nose up to everyone else."

Lumière turned to face her. "What is that supposed to mean?" he said.

Babette swallowed passed a lump in her throat, forcing her voice to remain steady. "You might as well just say that you do not love me anymore! This relationship means absolutely nothing to you!"

"Oh, stop it!" Lumière burst out. This was the last straw. "Every time there is a problem or you do not get what you want, you accuse me of not loving you! Do you have any idea how much stress I am under? This dinner is important! You are being selfish to bring this up now!"

"How dare you, having the nerve to call _me_ selfish!" she screamed. "Thinking only of _yourself_ and your work lately when there are those who, as you have claimed, come first in your life!" She laughed mockingly. "What a joke, or merely more flattering words to lure a woman into your bed!"

The door flew open then, thankfully preventing Lumière from saying something he would regret. Cogsworth peeked inside, his face turning a furious shade of purple.

"Have you two forgotten about how well voices travel, as well as respect towards guests?" he growled. "They are here to see the master about diplomacy and peace! How do you expect them to agree to it if he can't even keep his own servants civilized?" Turning on Lumière angrily, he added, "You should have been in the dining room long ago, and had better return there at once!"

"I will be there in a minute," Lumière promised. Once Cogsworth stormed off again, he turned to Babette, attempting to keep calm. His patience stretched beyond its limits, he did not trust himself to speak kindly to her.

"You will have to excuse me; I have actual important things to attend to. We _will_ discuss this later," he said, going to the door, his hand gripping the doorknob. "Maybe you will be a little more understanding, and not so irrational. Until then, this conversation is over."

He left with those words, slamming the door shut.

Babette stared at it for a long time with the expression of one who had been slapped across the face. He had not spoken to her like that in years, and now he was gone, without care or regret.

When she regained her senses, she headed up the stairs to her room, slowly at first but faster with every step. She threw the door open and harshly shut it again, leaning against it as tears took hold of her. He did not love her, not anymore. He had just left her…very much like how Adrien always left her and her mother – angry after a fight, not giving a damn about anyone but himself. This would always be where love would bring her, wasn't it?

"_It is not worth the time or trouble to believe in love."_

Babette fell to her knees, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

_"You are no better than your mother! Good for nothing except in bed, and even there, she was stupid enough to get pregnant!"_

Babette rubbed her middle, groaning as she tore herself away from the chamber pot, and rose unsteadily to her feet to get a glass of water. Drinking it greedily to rid her mouth of the horrible taste, her mind wandered to her baby. It was not a scare this time around; now it was true. She should have told him; maybe then he would finally realize where his priorities should stand.

…No. No, she could not sink as low as that, using an innocent child for her own purposes. If he truly loved her, she shouldn't _need_ to tell him about their baby. Love should be all the reason he needed to make her his wife.

With a fresh flood of tears, Babette hid her face in her hands. Years ago, on the steps of her house as a little girl, she had made a promise to a good family friend, Madame Maigny…

_"Wherever you go, whatever you do, you do it well and make Maman and I proud."_

Babette's sobs came harder. She had broken her word in the worst possible way. She had sworn to herself that she would try to make the most of her life, but she had ended up down the exact same path as her mother. What would Celie have said if she could see her daughter now – pregnant and unmarried – when Babette had promised to do better?

Raising her head wearily, Babette angrily sniffed back her remaining tears. To hell with him. She was not going to give up, not like this.

She did not belong here; she never had. The entire reason she had even come to the castle was not honest need of work, but to be hidden away from a married lover who did not want to be tempted anymore. If she had not come here, none of this would have happened; years of her life would not have been wasted on a curse or false love! The only person that kept her here was Lumière, but if he did not love her, there was no longer any reason to stay. One maid would not be difficult to replace.

Racing for her drawers, she took out a satchel and began stuffing her belongings into it, convincing herself that this was what she had to do. With dinner going on, she could easily get away with no one to see her. The royals and their guests would all be in the dining room; servants not involved with dinner would be eating themselves. She would go as far as she could on foot and hire a carriage once outside the woods to take her somewhere, anywhere as far away from here as possible.

Wrapping her cloak around her with the satchel slung over her shoulder, Babette quietly made her way to the foyer, hiding behind anything she could at any hint of being discovered. No one had to know. No one could know. The last thing she needed was someone trying to stop her.

When she reached the front doors, she could not resist one final, sentimental glance around the room.

"Believe me, _chéri_, this is the better decision for both of us," she whispered, caressing her belly. Just as her mother had been there for her, Babette had every intention of standing by her child. The baby was her life now. There was no way she would put it through the same misery that she had gone through, and staying here meant placing that terrible fate upon one who did not deserve it.

It was with that determination that she went off into the night without any intention to return, not looking back again.


	7. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

Lumière sat in the silence of the clean dining room long after the dinner had ended. The guilt he felt for his tone and words earlier had been looming over him the entire time, and with work completed, he finally had the chance to sit down and think about it. As often as Babette picked the most inconvenient time to dangle the engagement over his head, there were as many ways to talk about their situation as there were not to. He had picked one of the wrong ones. Now, rising from the chair, he headed for the door, making his way to the servants' quarters, his mind racing quickly to come up with a sincere apology.

Standing outside Babette's room, Lumière took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. When angry and upset, Babette had a temper to rival that of the master himself. The slightest wrong word could set her off into a horrible fit. When he was sure that he could calmly handle anything, he knocked on the door. No response. He knocked again, and this time listened for any sounds coming from inside. Still nothing. Giving the doorknob a turn, however, he found it unlocked. He pushed it open to find a dark room with no one inside.

Lumière sighed in exasperation, leaning against the doorframe. The only thing worse than her temper was her habit of running off and avoiding him when she was angry. One would think that the long years of the spell, which prevented anyone from leaving the castle, would have broken the habit, but apparently not.

The only thing to do was look for her. He began his search throughout the castle, hoping she had made this easier by simply taking refuge in another room. After a hard day of work, he did not relish the thought of having to leave the castle.

The first obvious place was the maids' common room nearby. Most of the girls went there later at night once their work was finished. One of the first to notice him, unfortunately, was Veronique, one of the scullery maids.

"Well, well, it certainly has been a long time since _you_ have paid this room a visit," she said, walking up to him with a slight spring in her step.

Lumière hardly paid her any heed. When he had first come to the castle, the two had been involved in a passionate liaison, but as time went on – more specifically after Babette's arrival – Veronique's true colors began to surface. She was a pleasurable delight, but when his back was turned, she was nothing but trouble. Considering how upset she was when he broke all of their ties, it was a wonder that she even gave him a second look now.

"I simply have not had a reason to, until now," he replied honestly.

"I can imagine," she replied, coyly taking his hand and drawing him close to her. "That was some lovers' quarrel earlier; everyone near that sitting room heard it." She paused to smile, her words dripping with seductive promise as she walked her fingers up his arm and down his chest. "Which leads us back to your reason for being here. Is your precious Babette refusing you tonight? Because you know…I always have time for an old friend."

Lumière gripped her hand in protest, pushing it away. "_Non, merci_," he said firmly. "I just wanted to know if she was here."

"Well, she isn't, and that is her loss," she purred, licking her lips like an aroused huntress. "After all, a man like you needs a woman at all times, and what she doesn't know will not hurt her, now will it?"

"When will you take the hint? He is not here to see you!" another voice called in a scolding tone. Lumière looked up to see Sabine, one of the older maids, making her way over. Veronique merely tore away, storming off in a huff.

"She will never learn," Sabine said, shaking her head.

"Never thought she would," Lumière laughed quietly. "But never mind her. Babette is not in her room. Did she happen to come here at all?"

Sabine shook her head. "Not in here, _non_. I personally haven't seen her since breakfast this morning." She looked at him, concerned. "Is she all right? Michelle and Jeanette said she didn't show up for dinner."

Lumière sighed. "Do not worry. I know she has not really been feeling well, and now – as everyone heard – I have only helped make her feel worse. Thank you anyway."

Sabine nodded. "No trouble at all. Tell her that I hope she feels better when you find her."

Lumière promised he would, and then made his way down to the kitchen. He got there just in time to catch Mrs. Potts, closing the door behind her for the night.

"That answers the question then," he said ruefully.

Mrs. Potts turned to him, puzzled. "What's that, dear?"

"I can not find Babette, and she is not in her room," he explained. "We had quite an argument earlier before, and I thought she might have come down here to talk to you."

Mrs. Potts shook her head regretfully. "I haven't seen her. The kitchen was just as busy as you were in the dining room."

Lumière closed his eyes tightly. "Of course, I apologize. I am just…not thinking properly. It was not just a quarrel earlier; it was more like a battle."

Mrs. Potts looked at him compassionately. "I wish I could say I knew where she was, but I haven't seen her all day. I'm sure she hasn't gone too far."

"Knowing Babette, I am all too certain she has," Lumière said forlornly, more to himself. "Though I had hoped she might have stayed in the castle for once." He sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. "If Cogsworth looks for me, could you tell him that I will be back as soon as possible? I think I know where she is."

"Of course I will," she replied kindly. "Go on."

Lumière nodded in gratitude, racing downstairs to the foyer to grab a cloak before heading for the stables. The only other place to find Babette in times like this was the village of Molyneaux. On more than one occasion when they had fought as horribly as this, she had headed down to the tavern and gotten her revenge by flirting with the locals until Lumière came to talk to her. Of all places, he should have tried there in the first place.

But there was no time for "should have." All he wanted now was to find her and bring her home. _And fast_, he thought, looking up at the dark night sky, shivering. It had been cloudy earlier, and not seeing one solitary star, he could only imagine that the weather was unlikely to improve.

By the time he reached Molyneaux, his suspicions were confirmed as rain began to pour. Freezing, he saw to the horse and raced inside the tavern, sitting down in a large armchair to quickly warm up near the fire.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" cried a squeaky voice beside him, and Lumière looked beside him to find a short, unhappy…and somehow familiar young man frowning angrily at him.

"I am going to assume that _monsieur_ means me?" he asked, puzzled as to what he could have done wrong.

"Yeah, you," the man countered, standing up to his full stature – which was nothing intimidating whatsoever – as though he were some high official. "Don't you know whose chair this is?"

Lumière shook his head. "_Non_, I can not say that I do."

"A great man, our town's hero, always sat in this chair!" his accuser shouted. "He died saving this village! No one sits here out of respect for him!"

Lumière stood, holding his hands up innocently. "All right, all right, I understand," he said, trying to calm the man's tension. "I did not mean any harm, _monsieur_. I am not here to cause trouble; I am just looking for someone here who means a great deal to me."

"Fine, just do it somewhere else."

Lumière backed away slowly to the bar, taking a seat on a stool instead. The bartender shook his head as he stepped forward.

"Don't mind Lefou," the old man said quietly. "Poor lad really looked up to Gaston and has been protective of all his things for a whole year since…that night."

Lumière looked at the young man, Lefou, again. He must have adored his hero, Lumière decided. He watched as Lefou dusted off and fluffed the chair with such precision that the lad's tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth while he worked…his face almost eerie in the fire's soft light…

_The torch slowly coming towards Lumière threateningly…_

_Dieu_, that explained the familiarity, Lumière realized as he hastily turned back to the counter. The villagers of Molyneaux were the ones who had made up that terrible mob, and that Lefou had nearly melted Lumière to practically nothing! The man that died must have been the muscle-bound, dark-haired brute that attacked the master! Suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, Lumière looked desperately around the room for Babette, wanting to bring her home safely, as far away from here as possible.

"Are you all right?" the bartender asked, noticing Lumière's uneasiness.

Lumière bit his lip, nodding with a forced smile. "_Oui, monsieur, merci_. I am merely…not thinking clearly…uh…women trouble."

The bartender chuckled, placing a mug in front of him. "That's usually why we all come here in the first place, eh?"

"Actually, I came here to look for her," Lumière replied, getting back to the truth at hand as he took a sip of ale to relax. "She always runs off when she is upset, and has come to this tavern before."

"What does she look like?"

"Tall, dark hair, very attractive, quite a flirt when she wants to be."

The bartender thought for a moment, but shook his head. "Sorry, but there hasn't been anyone like that in here tonight."

"Are you sure?" Lumière asked, persistently. "Will anyone else know?"

"Believe me, _monsieur_," the bartender began. "If a woman like that did come in here, you would have to get in line to sit next to her. These boys love new blood. You could ask, but if they've seen her, she'd be the talk of the room. No one's said a word tonight about the kind of girl you described."

Lumière groaned, offering a begrudging but grateful "_Merci_" for the information. Where else could Babette possibly be? Glancing at a clock and noticing the late hour, he decided that she must have come down here, but probably left when it took him forever to follow her. Swallowing the rest of the ale in one drink, he left the payment there and headed for the door.

"Leaving so soon?" a silky female voice murmured behind him. Lumière whirled around instinctively, elation filling him with joy at the thought of possibly finding Babette…but there were only three blonde girls in place of the voice instead.

"The ladies must forgive me, but I am in a rush," he answered politely as he turned to go, but one of the girls, dressed in red, reached for his arm.

"Wait, didn't you need help?" she said.

"Looking for a girl?" another, clad in yellow, added.

Lumière turned to them again, curiously. "_Oui_, very much so," he said.

The third girl in green took his one hand in her own, while her sisters clasped onto the other. "Then we can help you," she said sweetly as they led him towards the stairs.

Lumière glanced between the triplets one by one cautiously. He knew that look that each of them wore all too well.

"You have seen the woman I am looking for then?" he asked.

"Maybe we have," the red dressed replied.

"And maybe we haven't," added the yellow.

The green dressed drew closely against him, whispering temptingly, "But whoever she is, we'll make you forget about her."

Lumière tore away from them in a heartbeat. "Then whatever 'help' that any of you have to offer is of little use to me. _Bonsoir_," he said steadfastly, angrily heading towards the door and leaving for good this time.

Red pouted as he left, giving both of her sisters a solid slap on the arm. "Now look what you both did!" she cried. "Scaring off a man that well dressed and noble looking!"

This, of course, only earned her arguments and whining from her sisters, as the three fought all the way up to their rooms.

ooo

Lumière returned to a dark castle, sopping wet and right back where he had unfortunately started. After drying up a bit and preparing for bed, he took a deep breath and headed for Babette's room, determined to make things right…

But when he raised his hand to knock on the door, his common sense got the best of him as he heard the clock toll an ungodly late hour. Babette was apparently so upset that she could not even wait for him at the tavern, and waking her up now was seeming like less and less of a good idea. If she was still as mad at him as she had been earlier, it would only get worse if he woke her. Thus lowering his head in defeat, he headed back to his own room, desolately, deciding it was best to let her sleep this off and wait till morning.

If only his nerves could agree with that theory, he thought, frustrated, as he tossed and turned in a cold, lonely bed before simply resting on his back and staring at the ceiling. He absolutely hated ending the day like this. But thankfully, the realization that the sooner he fell asleep, the faster morning would come conquered his uneasiness. Closing his eyes at last, he dreamed of his beloved's smile waiting for him to get him through the night. All would be well tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven_

The night sky, normally lit by numerous bright stars, was pitch black as ominous clouds and the threat of rain hovered above the forest. Creatures scurried for the comfort of their burrows and trees, determined to keep dry and warm. As she would not be leaving the woods tonight, Babette knew she would have to follow their lead and soon. She could already feel tiny drops of water begin to fall.

Desperately, Babette looked for any kind of shelter. She soon stumbled upon a hollow group of rocks, or more specifically, she realized, a cave, as the rain heavily began to pour down. Stepping inside cautiously, she listened for any sounds of possible animal residents, but heard none. Good, a place to stay at least for the night. It was not the coziest or most comfortable, but it would do.

Feeling around on the ground, she searched for any twigs or sticks she could find, piling them together before rummaging through her satchel. She could have sworn she had taken everything from her drawers including some household flint stones, which were used to light fires in the hearth. Thankfully, she had, and with a breath of relief, she took them out. It took a while, but finally she had a small blaze, and she sat back, admittedly proud of her work. Babette was the farthest thing from an outdoors kind of woman, but instinct fortunately took charge in the worst of situations.

Only now, the heat of the fire made her realize how cold she was. Having been so determined to find shelter, she had hardly noticed the fact that she was wet and shivering intensely. A combination of rain and the chill of an approaching winter was never pleasant to bear. Even a quick change of clothes and a stole from her bag did not help much.

Sitting close to the small fire, she laughed ruefully. "I hope you know how lucky you are in there," she whispered to her middle. "It must be a warm paradise compared to this."

Placing the satchel under her head for a pillow, Babette laid down sleepily…staring at the fire…listening to the rain…

"_So much for _that_ marvelous plan," Lumière said with a frown, not one of his most common expressions. "I should have guessed that nature would pick today of all days to interfere."_

"_And there is nothing you can do about it, so calm down," Babette replied comfortingly. She spread their decently dry blanket on the sitting room floor in front of the fire and sat down, patting the space beside her invitingly._

_Lumière sighed, closing the door. Once seated, he went through the picnic basket to see if anything was still salvageable. "Nothing, everything's ruined," he bemoaned. "After all the work to make your favorites too."_

_Babette pushed the basket aside, crawling onto his lap in its place. "Stop looking so dismayed," she whispered soothingly, nuzzling his shoulder with utmost affection. "Frowns never did suit you."_

"_You are not disappointed?" Lumière asked, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Who knows how much time we will have once the master and mistress return from their honeymoon? I wanted every free moment we have to be perfect."_

_Babette pulled back to look at him. "In case you have not already noticed, this one still can be," she said, a playful grin crossing her lips. "Now, if I recall, it began to rain just as we were having dessert. For one thing, that means the picnic was not completely ruined; we got through most of it. For another, while you know pastry is a guilty pleasure of mine…I can think of a different one that is much more…delectable."_

_Lumière smirked with amorous challenge in his eyes. He clasped her hand in his own, gracing her chilled palm with a kiss, before allowing his fingers to travel downward to the hem of her skirt. There, he tenderly rubbed the cold skin of her ankle, eliciting a grateful gasp from his lady._

"_As the _maitre d' _of this castle," he whispered, "you know I can not allow dessert to be cold. It simply will not do."_

_Though her eyes were dazed and her strength delightfully weakened, Babette held him close with all her might. "Then I suggest you warm it up."_

A thunderclap shook the entire forest, and Babette bolted awake from her sleep, probably for the better. Memories and dreams would not do her any good.

Shivering, coughing fitfully, she noticed that the fire had died down a bit. Hastily, she reached for remaining sticks, leaves, anything she could find to revive the flame…and that was when she noticed something that still remained to bring such dreams to her – the ring on her finger.

Tossing the sticks into the blaze, Babette bit her lip as she stared at the tiny gold band, one that meant nothing to her anymore. Angrily, she tore it from her finger, immediately shoving it into her satchel and out of sight before lying down again.

He was a distant part of her life now, a heartbreaking memory. The baby, _her_ baby, was all that mattered from now on. Living in the past, loving a man who no longer loved her, would only distract her from higher priorities.

ooo

Normally, only Cogsworth was up and about at the break of dawn, and that is why he was stunned to see Lumière walking down the corridor. Pulling sore teeth from one's mouth was an easier task than attempting to wake Lumière in time to prepare the dining room for breakfast. Cogsworth could not believe his own senses, and admittedly, he had to pinch himself to be sure he was not hallucinating.

"What act of God has spared my patience this morning?" he asked, sounding quite relieved.

Lumière hardly paid him any attention. "Thank Babette once I am finished speaking with her," he said tiredly, covering a yawn.

"What did you do _this_ time?" Cogsworth groaned, following close behind and checking his pocket watch, none too discreetly. "Quarter past six," he read aloud disapprovingly. "A new record for the loving couple and their quarrels."

Lumière suppressed the need to return the sarcasm, settling for an eye roll instead as he approached Babette's bedroom door. Knocking gently, he frowned at Cogsworth as the older man stayed annoyingly put.

"Do you mind?" Lumière hissed. "I would much rather do this alone."

Cogsworth checked his watch again. "Ten minutes, and even that is pressing for time," he said, looking up at Lumière with authority as he shoved the timepiece back into his pocket. "Apologize, do what you must – within complete reason, that is – and then to the dining room immediately."

"Fine, agreed; now please, go!" Lumière pleaded, knocking on the door again as Cogsworth unwillingly obliged.

At last able to focus on the door, Lumière frowned when not even a third attempt at knocking brought about a response. Babette was never one for mornings, but even by now, she should have answered him somehow. He took the chance of turning the doorknob, but as it was the night before, it was unlocked now. Without hesitation, he pushed the door open.

Inside, the room was strangely silent. Lumière moved towards the bed, positively confused, and pushed back the sheets to find no one lying in it. This did not make sense; surely she had not started work already. She was not usually out of bed for at least another hour…

Across the tiny room, Lumière glanced at the dresser as something odd about it caught his eye. One of the drawers was slightly opened, askew even as it appeared to have been knocked off its track. Walking up to it, almost cautious in his steps, he pulled it open roughly…finding nothing inside. He quickly pulled open another, and another, until he checked every single one. All were empty. Everything in the room had vanished, he realized, taking a sweeping glance around the small space.

Lumière did not know how long he stood in petrified silence, but in that time, his mind slowly pieced together the horrible conclusion. She was not hiding in the castle; she had not run off to the tavern. Babette was…gone.

No, he refused to believe it. She had to be somewhere in this place; where else could she be? Dashing for the hallway, he called for her desperately at every corner, checked every possible room, to no avail. But it did not stop him. His cries grew louder, not paying any heed to how early it was or the fact that others may have been sleeping.

It was this distracted state of mind that caused him to startle when Cogsworth approached him.

"Lumière, what is the meaning of this?" he admonished. "The _entire_ castle doesn't need to be awake right now. You will wake the master and mistress if you don't – !"

"Too late, Cogsworth," an unpleasantly tired Vincent interrupted. Turning to the cause of his awakening, the prince asked, "Lumière, what is going on?"

"Master, please…forgive me, b-but there is…there is…oh _mon Dieu_," Lumière uncharacteristically stuttered.

Vincent immediately grew concerned, the class distinctions of "prince" and "servant" pushed mentally aside. "Calm down, my friend," he said. "What has happened?"

"Babette…she is…"

Cogsworth could only stand another second of Lumière attempting to regain his senses before impatience took hold. "For heaven's sake, man, out with it!"

"Babette is gone."

Cogsworth stared at him blankly. "You woke everyone unnecessarily for that?" he asked dryly. "She constantly runs off when she is upset with you, most intolerably so, if you ask me."

"_Non_!" Lumière shouted, clearly in a panic. "She is _gone_, really gone! Her drawers, her entire room has been cleared out! She has run away!"

Vincent wasted no time in taking action. "Then there is no question about it; we have to find her," he said. "Cogsworth, tell the captain of the guard to ready his men; Lumière and I will go with them to search the woods. Also tell the princess of this, and both of you remain here in case Babette returns."

"B-but, master, what should I tell the Ambassador?" Cogsworth asked worriedly. "There is still much to be discussed before he leaves tomorrow afternoon!"

"Do you not understand that this can not wait? I have to find her!" Lumière cried, not thinking properly in his worry. "What if something happened to her and she is out in the woods somewhere, lost or hurt? We can not just leave her out there!"

"Enough!" Vincent cried. "Arguing won't do us any good." Turning to Cogsworth, he ordered, "Offer my apologies to the Ambassador, and tell him an emergency has called me away. Say that it concerns family, if you must. We will be back as soon as we can. Hurry now!"

ooo

By dawn's early light, gray and dreary courtesy of lingering clouds, Babette groggily stirred from uncomfortable slumber. Exhausted, she sat up to stretch herself awake, wincing as pain shot through her back. Lying on the cold, hard ground of a cave could do that to a person, she guessed bitterly, missing the soft luxury that was her bed at the castle.

Attempting to be positive, she mused over the idea of this being practice for later. Once the baby arrived, surely she would be getting less sleep than she had last night. At least now she would be prepared, she thought with a weak excuse for a smile.

On that note, Babette gently kissed her fingers before placing them on her middle. She almost laughed at herself for being so sentimentally silly, but her unborn child was the only comfort she had at present. Everything she had decided to do was for her baby, the one being that would truly belong to her, that she could love unconditionally and receive love from in return. Maybe she did look a little silly, but it did not matter. No one was around to see her, and even if there were, she would not care what they thought…

_Crack…crack…_

Babette snapped to attention, her hand immediately covering her midsection protectively. Pressing herself against the cave wall, she held her breath listening to the noise as it grew louder and closer.

Another twig snapped, and a shadow appeared at the cave's opening. An animal's shadow, large and dog-like, a long snout raised in the air…a wolf, she discovered when it came into view. Slowly, Babette slid as quietly as she could into a dark corner, not moving any more muscle than necessary, but it did not help. The wolf's ears perked up at the slightest of sounds, sniffing into the air again then letting out a low growl at the scent of an intruder in its pack's section of the forest.

Babette bit her lip, desperately trying not to make another sound. Ever so carefully, she reached for a rock beside her, just in case, watching as the animal stared into the cave, as though searching the darkness for her…

"Hurry up, we don't have all day!"

Upon hearing the sound of human voices, the wolf looked up in alert before running off in another direction, most likely deeming them more of a threat than Babette alone. Carefully rising from her place on the ground, Babette moved closer to the cave entrance to get a peek of who had spoken.

Outside, she saw three men on horseback, bearing the new crest of the prince: a silhouette of the beast he once was, holding a rose: a reminder to all in the palace of what they had endured, and how strong love was to conquer it.

"Search down there," one of them ordered. "Seems secluded enough for a hiding place."

Babette's eyes widened nervously as she bolted back into the depths of the cave. The castle guards were out searching for her? This could not be good. Though Vincent had grown kind of heart, treating the servants more like family than he had in the past, they were all still servants nonetheless. All things considered, she had left without permission or resignation; there must have been a rule against that somewhere.

No, she could not let them find her. She had not made it this far only to be dragged back to the castle, forced to explain herself, and then have God knows what punishment possibly placed upon her for disobedience.

"I see a cave! Perfect place for her to take shelter!" another one of the men called.

"Well, let's have a look then!"

Not thinking twice, Babette slid as best she could into a deep nook in the cave wall, still gripping the rock tightly in her hand. The footsteps drew closer. The light from the guards' lantern grew brighter, and sure enough, she saw the three of them come into view. Desperate to make them go away, Babette waited for their backs to face her before cautiously throwing the rock at a bush outside and hiding again. Thankfully, it was a decent hit, immediately catching their attention.

"A-are you sure it's a g-good idea to be in here?" one asked nervously.

"Yeah, come to think of it, you never know what could call this a home," the other agreed fearfully.

The trio's leader groaned. _The foolish cowards calling themselves the pride of the castle guard these days_, he thought. But still, they did have a point, and he could have sworn he had seen an animal lurking about the entrance earlier.

"Very well, clearly there's no one here," he said decisively. "Let's go."

Once they had left, Babette cringed as she overheard the leader's disapproving words.

"All this for a mere woman that can easily be replaced; not worth the time if you ask me."

Babette bit her lip, forcing herself to remain silent as they rode off. Harsh as he had been, he was right. She was just one of many, and they would certainly find another girl to take her place soon enough. No one would truly care that she was gone after a while. Not even Lumière, who apparently did not care enough already, considering that the castle guard was out looking for her without him. _Shows how much he misses you_, she scolded herself.

Leaving her nook, but remaining in the cave since she was now aware of the hunt for her, Babette sat quietly in the darkness. She would have to wait until nightfall to continue on her way. Surely by then they would have given up.

ooo

Back at the castle that night, Vincent and Lumière returned unsuccessful, each group of guards also reporting failed efforts. When the last of them had come home and given his report, Vincent quietly gave them all permission to retire before looking at Lumière compassionately.

"We did the best we could," the prince said softly. "But don't despair. It has only been one day, and the woods are very difficult to search, even with as many men we had out there."

Lumière merely nodded in reply, not wanting to seem disrespectful but not willing to speak either.

"The good thing is that we know she isn't hurt," Vincent continued, emphasizing the one positive outcome. "Believe me, if she was, I'm sure they would have found her. She must have made it out safely. Tomorrow, I can send word out to the surrounding areas to have people watch out for her and send back any information they may have."

When he still received only a nod, Vincent placed his hand on Lumière's shoulder comfortingly as the man had so often done to him in the worst moments. Lumière had been like a father to him for years; Vincent was all too willing to now return the familial sense of concern.

"You helped me find the woman I love, my friend," he said. "Now I will do everything in my power to help you find yours, and we _will_ do so, I swear it. For tonight, try to get some rest."

Lumière barely registered the prince's words before the younger man left him be for the evening. Absently, aware of nothing except the fact that Babette had vanished without a word or a trace, he trudged up the stairs to his room.

She was out there somewhere, hurting and alone because of him, and he was unable to comfort her. The very idea pained him deeply down to his bones, literally, as he felt his entire body aching. He wanted nothing more right now than to hold her in his arms and make up for everything that had happened between them.

Once he was set for bed, he climbed in and blew out the candle on the side table. He lay still, occasionally closing his eyes. But every time he felt himself nodding off, thoughts of their argument and her angry face began to haunt him, as though he was not allowed to sleep as punishment for all that had happened. He sat up at one point to take a few deep, relaxing breaths, but even that did not help.

Lumière stared at the empty place beside him – her place. He reached over to touch the sheets, shuddering at how cold they felt when they were normally warmed by the presence of his precious Babette. Only a day apart and he longed to see her there again: her dazzling smile and playfully sparkling eyes gazing up at him, her dark hair flowing over the pillow in soft waves. He missed the sight, he missed _her_, and he would not rest until she was at his side again.

ooo

Babette rested against a tree. With the knowledge that everyone was out looking for her, she knew that the middle of the night was now her only choice for travel. However, it still did not help her exhaustion and lack of sleep. _Dieu_, she was tired, so much so that she was imagining things, she decided, seeing a swinging light up ahead.

But as it grew closer, she squinted, making out more shapes and visions to go along with it: a driver…two horses…a cart…

A cart! It wasn't a delusion; it was real! A cart was heading up towards the crossroads, right in her direction!

"_Attendez_!" she shouted pleadingly, forcing herself into a run. "_Monsieur_, wait!"

The driver looked up, confused by the unexpected cries coming from the roadside, but pulled his horses to a halt when he saw Babette approaching.

"_Monsieur, s'il vous plaît_," she said breathlessly. "I need your help! Where are you headed to?"

"To the north, _mademoiselle_, towards Paris," he replied kindly. "What is it that you need?"

Her beloved Paris, her true home, Babette thought happily. Everything she had left behind years ago was there!

"Henri?" the woman in the cart said, waking up from the commotion. "What is going on?"

"_Monsieur_, _madame_, please," Babette beseeched, quickly thinking up a story. "My…sister lives in Paris. I was on my way to see her, but the coach I had hired overturned yesterday. No one was hurt, _Dieu merci_, but the coachman said he would have to take it back to where we started for repairs. I have been on foot since then…and then the rain…oh please, let me travel with you!" She reached into her satchel frantically, taking out a few francs. "I only have a little bit of money, but will unquestionably repay your kindness!"

The couple looked at each other, silently conversing with their eyes, before they nodded in agreement with a smile.

"Put your money away, _mademoiselle_," the man said, jumping down from the seat and leading her around to the back of the cart. Holding out his hand to help her up, he asked, "May I?"

Babette smiled graciously. "_Merci, monsieur, merci beaucoup_!" she said, relief and genuine happiness in her words as she reached to climb inside.

The woman met her halfway to take over assistance from her husband. "Just watch your step over the little one," she warned with a grin.

Babette looked down, finding a little boy sleeping on the floor of the cart beside some cargo. Carefully, she avoided waking him as she moved to sit across from the woman, who took out a spare blanket from beneath the seat.

"You poor thing, you must be freezing!" she said, draping it around Babette's shoulders. "There now, that should do it!"

"_Merci, madame_, I appreciate this so much more than you can imagine," Babette replied sincerely, clutching the blanket tightly around her.

The woman smiled warmly. "It is no trouble," she reassured. "The world needs as much thoughtfulness as we are able to put into it. Now get some rest; you look as though you can certainly use it!"

Babette returned her smile, resting herself down on the bench-like seat. When she awoke, all of her pain would be behind her and she would be on her way home.


	9. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight_

Her servant's instinct unfortunately did not disappear as quickly as Babette would have hoped. She could not have gotten any more than a few hours' sleep when the vile hour of seven approached and her body began to wake up. But thankfully, feeling the cart rumbling along the road beneath her, she reminded herself that she could continue resting as long as she wished without any work waiting for her …

"Who's she, Maman?" a small voice asked.

"Yves!" she heard the woman's voice warning in a hushed tone. "Don't bother the poor lady while she's sleeping!"

…_Then again, maybe not_, she thought, amused and curious to see who found her presence apparently interesting. Blinking her eyes awake, she gasped and bolted upward, surprised to find a small boy's face mere inches from her own. The boy jumped back a little, startled, landing straight into his mother's arms.

The woman sighed, shaking her head. "I told you to leave her alone," she scolded, lifting him onto her lap. She then turned to Babette apologetically. "I'm so sorry, _mademoiselle_. Please get some more rest; I promise he won't bother you again."

"_Non_, it is all right," Babette insisted reassuringly. Smiling at the boy, she joked, subtly winking to the woman, "It is quite nice actually, catching the attention of such a handsome young man."

Little Yves – who could not have been older than four, Babette guessed – hid his face in his mother's shoulder, before looking at Babette again with a blushing smile.

The woman laughed. "Oh there's a compliment indeed! He doesn't look at just anyone like that," she said before turning her attention back to her son. "But I think that's enough flirting for you this morning. Why don't you go sit with Papa up in front?"

Yves gladly agreed to the idea, and Babette watched with a grin as he carefully and expertly climbed up next to his father. The driver laughed, wishing his son a jovial good morning and taking him onto his lap. Handing over the reins – and keeping his own hands over the boy's – he let Yves take a turn "steering" the horses. Yves sat there, so proud and tall, a smile on his face as though the man had given him the world.

Babette's smile faded as harsh reality took hold of her. The child's happiness in his father's presence and the father's obvious love and pride in his son was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen…but it was a joy her own baby would never know. Babette turned away, unable to bear the sight any longer.

"Are you all right, _mademoiselle_?" the woman asked, concerned.

Babette nodded after a moment's pause. "_Oui, madame_. The traveling must be catching up with me; I am simply tired."

"Well I'm still sorry for Yves waking you so early," the woman said. "His curiosity tends to get the better of him more often than it should."

"Really, there was no harm done," Babette replied. "We were all children once, _non_? With an interest in everyone and anything around us?"

"Very true, but I wish I knew how to control it," the woman laughed gently. Smiling kindly, she suggested, "Riding up front should keep him busy for a quite a while. If you would like rest a bit longer, you won't be interrupted."

Babette grinned gratefully. "Any idea of sleep sounds wonderful right now, _merci_."

ooo

Two days later, they arrived in Paris. At first, Babette had smiled, utterly relieved that she had made it this far. Part of her had been terrified throughout the trip that one or more of the guards would have been patrolling the roads looking for her. But instead, good luck had finally decided to be on her side.

Now all she had to do was get home, and that thought made her smile vanish. The family had been so kind to her throughout the journey, practically treating her as one of their own. She had gotten so caught up in the warm moments that she had put little thought into what she was going to tell them when they arrived. _Actually, make that no thought at all, you fool_, she scolded herself.

But now the moment of truth was upon her, and she had to think fast.

"Now then, where does your sister live?" the driver asked.

Babette swallowed hard, but discreetly. "She…works in a shop, and will not be home until later," she said quickly. "If you let me off anywhere, I can walk the rest of the way."

"_Non_, it's all right; where is this shop then?"

The pressure of the lie was building so fast that Babette could hardly catch up. "Which shop, which shop…uh…it has been so long since my last visit, I hardly remember," she replied, laughing uneasily to buy some thoughtful time. She mentally went over each shop that she remembered. "The tailor and seamstress' shop on _la Rue de Grenoble_, number 17?" she blurted out, praying it still existed.

"Ah, Monsieur and Madame Veston, I know it," the driver said.

Babette breathed a sigh of relief. "That is the one," she said. "Just leave me there, and I will be all right, really."

When they pulled up in front of the store, Babette gathered her satchel and said her goodbyes. Little Yves gave her a huge grin. "Bye!" he said, waving. He had overcome his shyness during the trip and had been an absolute delight.

"Goodbye!" Babette said, waving back. "Maybe I will see you again one day." She bent down to kiss his cheek sweetly before climbing down.

"I still wish you would both accept a small something for your time," she told the driver and his wife.

The driver shook his head. "Not at all, we're just glad to help."

Babette smiled, taking each of their hands in hers. "I truly appreciate everything you have done for me."

"Then that's more than enough," the woman said kindly. "Take care of yourself."

Babette nodded, embracing them both in gratitude before they returned to their cart and drove off out of sight.

Now that she was alone, Babette took a short walk down the road, taking some time to reacquaint herself with a life she had not been a part of in years. She was happy with what she saw. Different people may have been bustling down the street; maybe a few different shops had opened where older ones had closed. But overall, everything had remained familiar and intact, the same as it had been when she left those long years ago. If she had had the time, Babette would not have hesitated taking her walk farther than this one street without fear of getting lost.

But she had only one place in mind to find. As she turned in the direction of the tailor's shop again, she took a breath, proceeding farther down the path than few cared to go during the day. At the end of the road, in a darker, secluded section of the city, was _Le Fleur Noir_, the most well known dancehall in Paris. To men, it was a place of sensuous delight and escape, a chance to be with showgirls who lived to please them with dances never seen at a public event, as well as other private things if the Fleurette allowed. To women, it was either unspoken of, a house of sin and debauchery, or the only place to find work when one was in desperate need and streetwalking was still an unacceptable option. To Babette, it was home and family.

As she walked up to the door, however, she paused in hesitation. If Babette was calculating correctly, most of the Fleurettes she knew would be older than forty by now. Would anyone even remember her? Would those girls even be there? Well, if they were not, she still had to try. Raising her first bravely, she took a deep breath and knocked loudly on the door.

A young girl answered, one that Babette did not recognize, raising an eyebrow at the sight of a woman. "_Oui_?" she asked.

"_Bonjour_," Babette said, once again thinking fast of what to say. "I used to work here, years ago."

"Apparently," the girl said snootily, giving her the once over. "Seem a little too old for what we offer here." She totally ignored Babette's glare before she added, "Now is there anything worthwhile that you need? There is work to do, and Madame Odette will have my head if it doesn't get done."

Babette's eyes went wide. "Madame…who?"

"Madame Odette," the girl replied, getting impatient.

Babette broke into a smirk. "As a matter of fact, that is who I am here to see," she said. "She will want to see me, believe me. May I come in?"

The girl straightened up a bit, not entirely sure whether to trust this woman or not. But if what the woman said was true, and she refused entry, she'd definitely be in hot water. "_Oui_, follow me."

Babette followed, though she could have walked the entrance hallway with her eyes closed. The main room was empty now, but the scents of ale, perfume, and smoke still lingered, just as she remembered. Being back in the hall was certainly familiar and therefore comforting, and she felt much more content than she had in a long time.

"Who do I say is asking for her?" the girl asked, interrupting Babette's thoughts.

Babette took a seat, sitting tall and proud. "Just tell her that the Little Lost Waif is looking for the Brain."

When the girl left to oblige her request, totally bewildered, Babette took a bit of time to simply take in the sight. Adrien may have sent her into some hard times by turning her over to this place, but for every bad time, there were good ones as well. Her first dance, the most exhilarating moment that she ever experienced; the family she had found in the other girls. As much as she hated to think of it now, she had even met her first true love here, and at the time, it had been the highlight of her life.

She was thankfully distracted her from that thought by the sound of footsteps running down the back hallway. Moments later, a tall, red-haired woman came to a quick halt, staring at Babette in disbelief. Babette smiled at seeing a face she would never forget, and the woman slowly came closer as though she did not trust her eyes.

"_Mon Dieu_, it can't be," she whispered.

Babette reached to take her hands. "Odette…I am home."

Odette squealed excitedly. "You little brat, get over here!" she cried, pulling her friend into a tight embrace that Babette returned wholeheartedly. Both of them close to tears, Odette shouted, "Aubrey! Get out here quick! Hurry up!"

More footsteps came from the upstairs. As Odette would not release Babette, the two had to turn together to see a tough, strong-looking blonde come down the staircase with as much of a stunned look as Odette had.

"Look who finally showed up for a visit!" Odette said happily.

Aubrey laughed racing for the pair to join in the hug. "Finally being the key word!" she agreed. Teasingly, though still with a hint of sincere hurt, she said, "You turn a girl into a hoity-toity house servant, and she forgets where she came from!"

"I never forgot about any of you," Babette insisted, as the three moved to sit at a table. "Life has just been…difficult lately."

"'Lately' is only recently, not since Day One," Aubrey clarified. "And just because you can't read or write is no excuse."

"Well, we'll teach her a lesson later," Odette said, gripping Babette's hand as though her friend would disappear if she let go. "I'm too happy to see her to be upset!"

"That is good to hear," Babette said, her voice quieting. "Because…this will be a lot longer than a visit."

"Why? What'd those royals do to you?" Aubrey asked, her famous defensive nature taking hold.

Babette shook her head. "Not now, I will explain later," she insisted. "I would much rather hear what has been happening here! It has been forever, and I missed you all!" To Odette specifically, she said, "You actually took over this place?"

Odette nodded. "D'Araignée died a few years ago, and she really meant it when she said that I was her 'heiress.' It's no easy task, and now I can hardly blame her for being so terrible sometimes. But I kept Aubrey around to help me, and that eases the load a lot."

"Is anyone else still here that I know?" Babette asked curiously.

Aubrey shook her head. "We're really the only ones left. Most girls either left or found a patron to take them in once they deemed themselves too old to keep the men interested." Relief took over her tone as she continued. "Fifi ran off the day Odette was put in charge, just as I thought she would. She knew she couldn't get away with any of her scams anymore."

"What happened to her?"

Aubrey shrugged. "Last I heard from an old customer who saw her, she was walking the streets and making ends meet the only way she knew how. That was at least two years ago, and I haven't heard anything since."

Babette had to admit that it was comforting to hear. After the horrible betrayals Fifi had brought upon them, it was good to know that she had finally gotten what she deserved.

Curiously, however, she turned the tables to more important concerns. "Have either of you heard from Brielle?"

Odette nodded. "Absolutely, she sends us a small something every year around Christmas and – unlike some – constantly writes."

Babette blushed a bright shade of red, starting to feel the guilt. "How is she?"

"She's as perfectly well as we could've hoped," Odette said. "She married Claude soon after you left. His family, luckily, has been nothing but kind to her, taking her under their wing and such despite everything. More miraculously, she has two wonderful children."

"_Dieu merci_!" Babette breathed. That horrific night that Brielle had 'gotten rid' of her first child still played out vividly in Babette's mind. The poor girl had not wanted to do it, but thought that she would be thrown out of the dancehall if she did not. Babette had gone with her for comfort, but it was not an easy night to bear for either of them. To hear that she had been able to have other children was wonderful news indeed.

"Well there, that's enough about us!" Aubrey declared. "I still want to know what's happened to you that you found it unnecessary to keep us, your best friends, in close contact!"

Babette lowered her eyes, having feared this part since the idea of coming back had first entered her mind. "Believe me, it is much too complicated. You will think I have gone mad."

"Try us," Odette replied.

Babette looked up at them, slowly recounting the entire tale from start to finish. How the young prince grew up to be cruel and selfish and therefore brought the curse upon the castle; how the servants, herself included, were also spelled for raising him the way they did, but slowly lost their humanity over the years; and finally how, when all hope was lost, Belle had arrived and set them free.

Both women stared at her blankly. Ever the blunt one of the three, Aubrey muttered, "You're right, you are crazy." This, of course, earned her a kick under the table, courtesy of Odette.

"I know it sounds unbelievable," Babette said. "But I swear, it is the truth."

"It's definitely hard to believe…although…" Odette mused thoughtfully.

"Although what?"

"Well, men from all over come to Paris, and visit here," she said. "About a year ago, a few had come up from a small town and told some wild story about a monstrous beast and a castle where furniture came to life and attacked them. We always thought they were just insane. But…maybe there was some truth to it?"

Aubrey shook her head. "I say it's good that you came back then," she mused. "At least those royals can't play mind games with you anymore."

"Absolutely, it's wonderful to have you home!" Odette agreed, rising from her seat. "Personally, I say we toast your return; I've been saving the best wine for such an occasion!"

"_Non, merci_!" Babette declined. "If it is all right, could I have water instead?"

Once again, she was met by looks of disbelief.

"You? Turning down wine?" Aubrey laughed. "And the _good_ wine at that? What are you, expecting or something?"

Babette lowered her eyes. _So much for avoiding that subject a little longer_, she thought, regretting her request. At her prolonged silence, Aubrey's laughter faded, and Odette slowly took her seat again, the wine forgotten in the unspoken revelation.

"You…you mean you are?" Aubrey asked.

Babette bit her lip, nodding. "Th-that is why I came back," she murmured shakily, the feelings of shame and anger returning after three days of forgetting about what had happened to her. "I am having a baby."

Odette slid her chair closer, hugging her friend around her shoulders, while Aubrey took Babette's hand.

"Did they throw you out because of it?" Odette asked.

Babette shook her head. "_Non_, no one knew about it, not even the father. I left the night I found out."

"Who did it? Whoever it was, I'll kill him!" Aubrey threatened.

"My…lover," Babette replied, bitterness in her tone. "I misunderstood his intentions as a man who actually cared. For so many years, I thought he really loved me. He was always there for me since the beginning…"

"Who was he?" Odette persisted.

"Lumière," Babette muttered.

Both women looked thoughtful before Aubrey was struck with realization. "That servant that Lucien de Bontecou brought with him the night he broke things off with you? The one that you were supposed to meet at the castle when you arrived?"

"_Oui_."

"I thought you two were just friends," Odette said. "In the only letters you sent, you said nothing about you and him…together."

"We _were_ friends," Babette confirmed. "I stupidly fell in love with him after the infatuation with Lucien had passed. Lumière was such an incredible man, but like the rest, he does not want commitment. I do not want him to marry me out of obligation, and if he did, my baby would go through exactly what I did in the past. I could not let that happen! So I ran away and came back here." She looked between them pleadingly. "Please, I need somewhere to stay until I can find a home of some kind on my own. I can not be a dancer anymore, but I will do any work around here to earn my keep. Just let me stay for a while, please?"

"Of course, you can!" Odette replied without any hesitation, and Aubrey nodded with sincere agreement. "I told you long ago that we would always be here for you if you needed us. Stay as long as you want. No work is necessary; you are family here."

Babette hugged them both tightly. "_Merci, mes amies_; I knew I could count on you."

"Always and any time. Fleurettes have to stick together," Aubrey said with a grin as she and Odette gently helped Babette up. Leading her towards the stairs, Aubrey added, "Come on, let's find you a room."

As they walked down the upstairs hallway, the girl who had let Babette in watched them pass as she swept up the floor. Frowning, she muttered under her breath, thinking they could not hear, "Figures, they'll let anyone try to join us these days."

Aubrey turned on her immediately, cornering the girl against a wall as Odette and Babette stopped.

"Watch your mouth," she growled as the girl cowered in fear. Pointing to Babette, Aubrey continued, "That woman right there is a Fleurette legend, raised by both Madame and myself. You either treat her with respect or find yourself out on the street, _comprends_?"

The girl nodded quickly, looking at Babette apologetically.

"Do not kill the poor thing for my sake," Babette said quietly when Aubrey rejoined them.

"That one has quite an attitude in her," Odette explained. "Showing too many signs of becoming 'Fifi, the next generation.' She's already working off a previous punishment."

Aubrey nodded with a smirk. "So let's just say I'm trying to save her before it's too late, and keep it at that."

Soon enough, they reached a door, and Odette opened it, stepping aside. "There we are, best in the house!" she said, over exaggerating the grandeur of her words. "I'm sure _mademoiselle_ will find it comfortable here!"

Babette laughed genuinely for the first time in days. "_Merci, madame_, it does look positively stunning!" Seriously, she added, "Would it be all right if I take a quick nap?"

Odette nodded. "Absolutely, no need to ask. I'll have that glass of water for you later on. I mean it when I say we're celebrating your return."

"_Très bien_," Babette replied before making her way to the bed to lie down. At long last, things were finally going right. She was back where she belonged, and always should have stayed. With the help of her dearest friends, she and the baby would be taken care of and all would be well.


	10. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_

As she stepped down from the hired coach, a young woman gazed up in awe at the splendor of the majestic castle. This was so exciting, the thought of working for the prince and princess themselves! It was as high as any servant like her could possibly go!

And as if that was not enough, the girl squealed for joy upon seeing her beloved cousin racing towards her.

"Sabine!" she cried, throwing herself into the older woman's arms. After all, it was Sabine's good word that had secured her this job in the first place. The girl owed her everything for the opportunity.

Sabine laughed, hugging her tightly. "_Ma petite_ Avril, it has been too long!" she said, putting Avril at arms' length. "Let me get a good look at you; it's amazing how much you've grown!"

The woman looking back at her was far from the gangly, clumsy child that Sabine had last seen. Avril was now a pretty, poised young lady, with deep green eyes and long blonde hair that was tightly pulled back into a braid. Eighteen years old and raised as a servant since birth, she was a fine choice for the opening that the master and mistress had on their staff. After many requests from Sabine's aunt, who wanted the best for her daughters, Sabine had finally been able to pull a few strings and Avril was sent to join her at the castle.

After paying the driver and helping to gather Avril's few small bags, Sabine said, "Come, let's get you inside and prepared for a proper introduction." She happily wrapped her arms around her little cousin as they walked inside. "Letters do little to soothe the heart; I'm so happy to actually have you here with me at last, _petite_!"

"So am I, undoubtedly!" Avril replied before finding herself speechless once she stepped inside the castle. "_Mon Dieu_, this place is more beautiful than you described!"

"Let's see if you still think that after you begin cleaning it," Sabine said with a wink and a grin, leading Avril up to her room. Once they reached the door, she opened it and stepped aside. "Here we are, this will be your room. Make yourself at home, and settle in a bit. Then meet me downstairs, and I'll introduce you to the head of the household."

"_Très bien_, I'll be right down," Avril said before Sabine left her with one last excited hug.

Once she was alone, Avril took a moment to gaze around the room, still hardly able to believe that she was now a servant at the royal palace. The room itself – though simple and somewhat tiny – was heaven, for it was _hers._ Prior to this, working for the Marquis and Marquise de Leon, she had shared a room with her mother and sister. Finally, she had complete independence in the finest place of luxury she had ever seen.

As she began to put her things away, Avril heard an unexpected knock at her door. Puzzled, wondering who it could possibly be, she answered it, and found two maids about her age waiting on the other side with curiosity written all over their faces.

When all they had offered was silence, Avril attempted politely, "Uh…_bonjour_."

"Oh, so sorry!" one of them replied suddenly in response. "Sabine had mentioned earlier that there was a new girl joining the staff, and we thought we'd be the first to welcome you. I'm Sophie, and this is Jeanette."

The second girl smiled, and Avril offered her hand to both of them warmly. "My name is Avril; it's nice to meet you."

"Would you like some help unpacking?" Jeanette asked.

"Yes, please!" Avril replied gratefully, gesturing them inside. "It may only be my first day, but I don't want to keep Sabine waiting. She asked me to meet her downstairs as soon as possible, and if there was one thing _ma mère_ taught me since I could walk, it was to always be punctual."

Sophie laughed as she and Jeanette helped fold different pieces of clothing and put them away. "Well, that will certainly put you on Monsieur Cogsworth's good side!" she said. "He is the head of the household here, and demands that the entire staff be perfect as far as time is concerned. He's a firm believer in every minute of the day having some kind of useful purpose."

"Sounds like a tough man," Avril said, putting one dress into a drawer and taking on a new one.

Jeanette waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, you learn how to handle him very quickly," she said. "What position were you hired for anyway?"

"According to Sabine's letter," Avril began, "there's been an opening for a housemaid for at least a month now, with not only cleaning duties, but also to help with serving dinner and such. And here I am!"

Sophie and Jeanette became as stiff as statues, looking at one another warily at that answer. Had the search for…_her_ finally been put to rest?

Avril glanced from one to the other, confused. "Is something wrong?"

Jeanette bit her lip, offering a tight smile. "_Non_, nothing wrong…_per se_…"

"_Per se_?"

"Don't listen to her," Sophie interjected, subtly glaring at Jeanette to keep her mouth shut. "She's just jealous because you are the most fortunate woman alive."

Avril shook her head. "You have completely lost me. How did I go from wrong to fortunate exactly? It doesn't make sense."

Sophie moved closer as if she knew the grandest secret in the world. "To be honest, any girl would give her right arm and leg to be on the serving staff," she explained. "The _maitre d'_, Monsieur Lumière, is an absolute dream, and there you will be, at his side every night at dinner!"

Avril admittedly began to blush. "Well, I don't know about that; I am here to work, not…"

"Work or not, if you catch his eye, there's no resisting him," Jeanette said with a sigh, clearly smitten with the idea. "Nor will you want to."

Avril tried not to appear interested. Between her and her sister, Anne, she was always the sensible one when it came to the opposite sex, while Anne did enough swooning to last them both a lifetime. That was not to say that Avril did not have her own share of interest in men, but she had been taught her entire life not to risk anything over a few passing words of flattery.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," she said. "For now, I'd really just like to focus on making a good impression."

"Suit yourself," Sophie said with a shrug. "But if I were you, I would grab him while I can before someone else does."

As uncomfortable as the conversation was, it did the trick to pass the time until every bit of Avril's things were put away and she had picked a dress to change into before she went downstairs to meet Sabine. The girls left her alone then, inviting her to join them in the maids' common room later that evening.

"I like her," Jeanette said, decisively blunt, once they were out of earshot.

Sophie nodded in agreement. "So do I…but five francs says that Lumière knows nothing about this."

"How could he not?" Jeanette asked. "She _is_ going to be a part of his staff."

"He still believes Babette is coming back, and because of that, I add to the bet that he will not be happy when he finds out she's finally been replaced."

Jeanette thought it over, and then shook her friend's hand. "You're on," she said with a smirk that immediately became the faraway grin she had before. "On the positive side of all this, at least he is officially fair game again."

Sophie laughed gently. "Very true!" she said. "It's time for all of us to make ourselves pretty, and may the best girl win!"

ooo

On any normal occasion, the only thing that Cogsworth had to fear when introducing Lumière to a new female on staff was the Frenchman practically drooling over her. This time, things would be a lot more complicated, past events taken into consideration.

"What could possibly be so important right now?" Lumière snapped, storming into the dining room. "Dinner is not for another couple of hours, and therefore I am not needed yet."

Cogsworth grimaced, though he ignored the outburst for once. While Cogsworth was always one to be prim and proper, he was certainly not heartless. This was going to be difficult for Lumière, he knew, but it had to be done.

"There's someone that you need to meet," he replied quietly. "Sabine should be here with her shortly."

"What are you talking about?" Lumière asked.

But a knock at the door stopped Cogsworth from answering, and both of them looked up as he called, "Come in!"

Sabine led the way over to the two men as Avril followed close behind her. "I hope we are not interrupting."

"Not at all, you are right on time," Cogsworth replied, stepping forward to meet them while Lumière looked on, uncomprehending.

Sabine nudged Avril forward. "Avril, this is Monsieur Cogsworth, the head of the household," she said before turning to the man himself. "And this is Avril, my cousin who I told you about. She has come to fill the maid position, as we agreed."

Avril smiled nervously, but curtseyed politely. "_Enchanté, monsieur_; I am honored to accept such a wonderful opportunity."

Cogsworth nodded, a gentleman in the presence of any lady. "Your cousin has spoken very highly of you, _mademoiselle_; I've heard nothing but good things. I trust you will be a marvelous addition to our staff."

"I will do everything I can to live up to your expectations, I swear it," Avril reassured him.

Lumière cleared his throat, not liking the sound of this. Sabine glanced at him, admittedly hesitant to continue introductions.

"Avril, this is Monsieur Lumière, the castle's _maitre d'_," she said, keeping up the proper appearances. "The position, as I've explained, requires small serving duties at dinner, and for that, you will be under his orders."

Upon hearing Lumière's name, Avril immediately took interest in the one man she had heard the most about so far. The girls were correct about him appearance-wise; he certainly was handsome and pleasant to look at. As he came forward, however, she could not describe it exactly, but there was something…cold about his taut smile, as though he was putting it on for appearances' sake. That was definitely unexpected. From what she had been told, she had been expecting a charmer.

"Delighted to meet you, _mademoiselle_," he said quietly, sounding anything but. He offered her a polite bow, but made no attempt to get closer to her, instead keeping his distance. "I am sure you will enjoy your stay here." Looking between the three of them, he concluded curtly, "Now you must excuse me; I am needed…elsewhere."

Cogsworth glared at Lumière as he headed for the hallway, instructing Sabine to "Carry on," with Avril's welcome and following close behind his impertinent comrade.

"Lumière!" he shouted. "Wait a minute!" The man merely continued walking. "Lumière, as head of this household, I demand that you stop right there!"

Lumière halted, but did not turn to look at him. "Is there something else that you suddenly realized I should have been told?" he asked, sarcastically.

When Cogsworth caught up to him, he gestured for Lumière to step inside the closest sitting room. Lumière reluctantly complied.

"It could not be helped," Cogsworth said simply, closing the door behind them. "The position had to be filled, and it is my job to see that it was."

"There was no need to fill it!" Lumière argued. "What is Babette supposed to do when she comes back?"

Cogsworth sighed, shaking his head. "It has been an entire month. She would have returned long ago if she had any intention of doing so."

Lumière's jaw visibly clenched. "I am going to find her, and bring her home, I told you that," he growled. "Just give me a bit more time!"

"There is no more time!" Cogsworth retaliated. "Babette has obviously made her decision; she is not coming back. I don't enjoy seeing you hurting so much, Lumière, really I don't. You are my friend after all. But I still have a job to do here, seeing that the castle is taken care of! The position has been filled, and that is the final word on the matter, do you understand?"

Lumière closed his eyes tightly, still not able to believe that this was all true. He refused to believe it. But he was in no state of mind to argue. Unwillingly, he nodded in agreement.

"Very well," Cogsworth replied, relieved that Lumière wasn't going to fight him on this. "Please begin training the girl immediately."

ooo

"And that concludes our tour!" Sabine finished with a grand flourish, but her attempt at humor was dampened by the preoccupied look on Avril's face. "What is it, _petite_? Are you unwell?"

"_Non_, I just don't understand," Avril replied slowly. "When I was talking with two of the girls earlier, they told me that Monsieur Lumière was…well, very different from how he was when we met him."

Sabine nodded in realization. "Oh, I see."

"Were they just playing a trick on the new girl?" Avril asked. "Or, if he is as they say, did I insult him? Though I can't imagine how; I didn't even have a chance speak to him."

"The girls weren't playing games," Sabine told her. "But Lumière…has not been himself lately. Don't take it personally. Just do what you do best, _chérie_: be yourself. Who knows? You may make him feel better by showing some kindness tomorrow."

Avril shrugged. "Maybe," she said doubtfully.

"Speaking of which, you need to meet with him early in the dining room tomorrow," Sabine said. "I suggest you get some rest."

"Sleep actually sounds wonderful," Avril sighed with a smile. "_Bonne nuit_, Sabine; I'll see you in the morning."


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten _

Avril had always considered herself an understanding person. She had her share of bad days; it was a fact of life. With this sensibility in mind, Avril tried not to let Lumière's moods bother her. He was difficult to deal with and a little more cold than she could handle at times. Nonetheless, after what Sabine had told her, Avril tried to be compassionate as well as respectful towards his higher rank. But after two painfully long weeks, her patience was wearing thin.

That night before dinner, Avril had been preparing place settings when she noticed Lumière's presence beside her. In the middle of folding a napkin, she glanced up at him, offering a tiny smile to be polite in response to his frown.

"I'm almost done, I promise," she said.

Lumière looked over the settings critically. "I expect you will be fixing your mistakes before you decide that for sure."

"Mistakes? What are you talking about?"

Lumière picked up a tiny fork. "What is this?"

"The dessert fork," Avril answered.

"Correct, and where does it go?"

Avril glanced down at the other forks, pointing between the larger dinner fork and the plate. "Right there."

"Incorrect," Lumière replied, placing it horizontally parallel to the plate. "It goes there." He then looked at the water and wine glasses, which she had lined up largest to smallest. "And what are you doing with these?" he asked with an irritated sigh, rearranging them in the proper triangular order. "I told you the other day that _this_ is how we set up the glasses."

Avril clenched her jaw, trying to keep herself in check. "I'm sorry, _monsieur_; old habit."

Lumière held up the napkin that she had been working on. "Where are the rings for these? I put them out for you!"

"I was trying something a little different," she argued. "I thought – "

"You thought wrong!" Lumière interrupted harshly. "You were raised as a servant, and after two weeks, you still have not learned! I taught one girl with _no_ experience, and she learned these things in a day or two!"

"Good for her!" Avril shouted, stunning Lumière into silence. She was normally quiet and reserved when working, simply doing the task at hand. For her to raise her voice was unexpected.

"I've tried to be understanding," she said angrily. "But since I arrived, you have been nothing but cold to me. I'm sorry for any mistakes I've made, but that is no reason to hate me!"

With that, she heatedly rearranged the other setting to his liking before excusing herself to fetch the napkin rings from the kitchen.

Lumière looked down, dejected. Thinking back over the past two weeks, he sighed, realizing that Avril was right. He had been acting far too insensitively towards her. None of this was her fault. She was here to do a job that she was hired to do, no questions asked about why the job was available in the first place.

Dinner went by smoothly, though his staff was on edge as they served the meal, having heard the outburst. Once it had ended, Lumière was determined to make things right. Dismissing the staff, he stopped Avril, asking her to wait for a moment. She nervously agreed, thinking twice about what she had said to him.

"Please, follow me," he said, leading her to the presently empty kitchen. With a small, chivalrous bow, he gestured her inside.

Avril lowered her eyes. "Monsieur Lumière, I apologize; I really shouldn't have…"

"You are not in trouble," Lumière reassured, holding up his hands as though in a surrender. "It is I who should apologize to you."

Avril looked up at him, admittedly surprised. She had not expected to hear that.

"You were right," Lumière continued sincerely. "I pride myself on being welcoming and polite, especially when it comes to a very kind young lady like yourself. But I failed at it this time, and I am sorry. You have worked very hard, and I should be telling you that more often."

Avril smiled gently at the praise. "_Merci, monsieur_. Forgive my saying so, but Sabine mentioned that you were not yourself. I really do understand that being upset can affect anyone."

Lumière nodded. "She was right, but that really is no excuse. My personal matters should not interfere so terribly with my manner towards others. I appreciate your understanding, but I hardly deserve it."

At a moment of awkward silence, he added, "Really though, you are doing very well. I know it is hard when you have learned how to do something one way and then have to adapt to another." He reached for a napkin, waving it open with a playful flourish. "These things can be more trouble than they are worth sometimes!"

Avril laughed, "They certainly can. Trying to fold one is murder!"

Lumière smiled as she seemed more comfortable. "Believe me, I know. The girl I mentioned earlier? Of all the things she learned, she could never fold a napkin the way I tried to teach her to. I think that is why we started using rings in the first place."

"Maybe it is best to stay with them then," Avril replied, taking a napkin for herself. "Before dinner, I was trying to say that I thought I could fancy them up a bit." With great concentration, as though it was the most difficult task in the world, she folded the napkin so that it could not only sit upright on a plate, but also looked beautiful, like a piece of art.

"How did you do that?" Lumière asked, impressed, looking it over. "I was merely talking about it looking presentable next to the silverware."

"Lots and lots of practice," Avril said, making it sound like the grandest of secrets. "It does take a few tries to get right, but after you do, it's easy." She demolished her art to start again. "Here, follow what I do."

There were many attempts on Lumière's part, some of which brought on some humorous results. But after the clock had tolled numerous times after, Lumière still had not gotten it right.

"I do believe, _mademoiselle_, that I will not be teaching anyone how to do this," he laughed. "I therefore put you in charge of napkin folding until I get this right, and even then, your help would be appreciated."

"I'll see what I can do, but we can continue the lessons tomorrow, if _monsieur_ agrees," Avril said with a grin and a yawn.

"Wholeheartedly; sleep is calling for me as well," Lumière said. "Besides, if I remember correctly, tomorrow is laundry day and every maid on staff is needed for that considering how many people live here. You will need your rest."

"For one who is only in charge of the dining room, you certainly do know a lot about different schedules," Avril said.

Lumière smirked. "That comes from having friends in every place," he said. "A…" He paused awkwardly looking for the right words. "A…very good friend was previously on the same schedule as you are, therefore I know it very well."

"A lady friend perhaps?" Avril asked jokingly, though she quieted when he grew serious.

"Yes, actually," he said, blushing a bit.

Avril fell silent for a moment as the pieces slowly came together. A woman…the same schedule…his formerly cold nature…

"I…replaced her, didn't I?" she asked cautiously.

Lumière looked down solemnly. There were too many emotions racing around inside him to answer that completely. He had not smiled or laughed since Babette had left. Part of him felt wonderful to be doing so again; it was his true nature after all. But the other felt guilty. She was gone, probably as miserable as him, and here he was enjoying himself…with a woman, not to mention her replacement.

"That is not important right now," he said dismissively, offering a halfhearted smile.

Avril did not persist. He was just beginning to show her kindness, and she did not want to risk that by being impolite. "All right," she said slowly. "But if you ever do want to talk about it…I'll be here."

His smile grew genuine at her response. She was a lovely girl, very sweet and charming, certainly beautiful…

Hastily he stopped that line of thinking. "_Oui_, uh…_merci_, I will remember that," he said quickly. "For now…it is getting late." He took her hand and placed a gentleman's kiss on it. "_Bonsoir_, Avril."

Avril blushed at his actions, then nodded. "_Bonsoir, _Monsieur– "

"Lumière," he said softly. "Just Lumière."

Avril smiled. "_Bonsoir, _Lumière."

When she was gone, Lumière leaned against the counter and took a deep breath. What was he doing? Babette was still out there, and he was showing interest in another girl. Only a little over a month, and he was back to his old ways. It was not right!

…Or was it, he wondered. Was it…time to move on? Maybe Cogsworth was right, although Lumière hated to admit it. A few hours at the tavern after a fight was one thing; an entire month and a half of vanishing into thin air was another. If Babette wanted to be found, she would have made sure Lumière could find her. That was not the case this time.

But still…his heart belonged to Babette. He missed her with every fiber of his being, and it felt wrong to show a passing interest in another girl…even if Babette had made it clear that she no longer wanted him, he reminded himself bitterly.

Still…He looked at the door through which Avril had gone. Avril was kind, and sympathetic – she could at least be a friend. Comforted by that thought, he went to bed.

ooo

_Babette smiled as the preacher proclaimed her Lumière's wife, and her smile broadened when her husband was told to kiss his new bride. But it faded as her veil was lifted, for there behind Lumière was Adrien. How could he dare to show his face here?_

_He placed his hand on Lumière's shoulder proudly. "At last," he said. "You give me something completely worthwhile: a son to who I can pass on _everything_ I know."_

_Babette looked at Lumière pleadingly, grasping his hands. "Why are you just standing there? Do something! You swore he could not hurt me anymore!"_

_Lumière's expression darkened, very much resembling the man at his side…the man she feared the most. "When are you going to stop being a whining little pest? All you do is nag me to get what you want! You have gotten your wedding, is that not enough?"_

_Adrien grinned maliciously. "That's my boy. Put her in her place."_

_Babette took a step back as both men came toward her threateningly. "No…no, leave me alone…please just leave me alone…!"_

"Babette, _chérie_, calm down!" Odette ordered gently. "Wake up!"

Babette's eyes snapped open, breathing heavily as she sat up. Nervously, she looked around the room for any sign of Adrien.

"You were dreaming again," Odette said. "What's this, the hundredth time since you've been here?"

As she did when she was younger, Babette sought comfort in her friend's embrace. After losing Celie, Odette had been the closest to a motherly presence in Babette's life.

"Believe me," Babette murmured tiredly, "I would love to stop them if I could."

Odette rubbed Babette's shoulder. "I know, I know. But we have to figure out a way to do that. You're going to be losing a lot of sleep pretty soon with the baby; you don't need dreams keeping you awake too."

"You do not need to tell me that twice."

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out," Odette replied, patting her hand…and noticing a ring that had not been there earlier. "What's this?" she asked.

Babette pulled her hand away quickly. When the dreams began, they had been more like memories, and she would wake up missing Lumière's loving presence. She had almost hoped putting the ring back on would make her feel better, a small reminder of how her life had once been. But truth be told, it had only brought on the nightmares as she remembered that life would in fact never be as she had hoped.

"It is nothing," she said, trying to pull it off and succeeding after a bit of a fight. Her fourth month had made her slightly larger than usual, as she was now eating for two.

Odette looked at her in disbelief. "A ring on the left hand's fourth finger is not just nothing. This man was more than a lover, wasn't he?"

Babette flopped gently onto her back, avoiding Odette's gaze. "Even if he was, what does it matter now?"

"Babette," Odette said, her tone firmly revealing that she would not play games. "You said you had a lover; you said nothing about being engaged! If he was just an ass who wanted you in his bed every night, then that's one matter. But this man is actually going to marry you, and you still ran away? That's an entirely different story, and one that could fix this problem!"

Babette looked up at her tearfully. "That is just the problem: he _was_ going to marry me," she said.

"Was?"

"There was a chance that I was expecting years ago," Babette explained softly. "It was not the first time. He would always be ready with wedding plans, just in case, but when we found out it was only a scare, the plans would fade away while we went about life again. But that last time, after I told him all was well, he actually proposed, seeming to really mean it, and I was so happy!"

She could barely keep her voice steady. "Things happened, I told you, and when it was all over, I thought that meant we could follow through with our plans. But it was the farthest from his top priority. He kept pushing me aside, brushed me off whenever I would ask for a wedding date. The day I ran away, he yelled at me, accusing me of being selfish. If it were only me, maybe…maybe I would have waited longer. But the baby is not a scare this time, and I can not wait for him to give me an answer anymore. He used to be a man who followed his heart, but that has all changed. If he loved me, if he truly wanted this as much as I did, we would have been married already."

Odette reached out to hold her friend close, rocking her gently as Babette began to cry. "So, he was just stringing you along," she said sadly. "But then why did you keep the ring?"

"Call it the last bit of hope that I have left," Babette replied, wishful thinking abundant in her eyes though it was clear that she knew the truth.

Odette sighed sympathetically. "Sweetheart, nothing would make me happier than to see something come from that hope. But you know as well as I do that men don't come riding up on white horses to make things right. It's killing me to see you wasting yourself away over this man. It's time to start thinking of yourself; more so, think of your baby. If you don't let go and put yourself back on the right road, how can you be strong for this child as I know you want to be?"

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Babette asked.

"It's an engagement ring, but he won't follow through with the proposal," Odette said. "It clearly no longer has a purpose."

Babette frowned. "You are making this so much easier," she growled sarcastically.

"Trust me, I have a point," Odette promised. "Personally, I think it should go towards helping you and the baby; you deserve something for everything that's happened, after all."

"What do you mean?"

"Monsieur Bijoutier is still in business nearby," Odette suggested. "You remember how he'd always buy little knick-knacks and trinkets from us, _oui_?"

Babette looked at the ring uncertainly. "Odette…no, I could not. That is the most treasured thing that Lumière ever gave me."

Odette lifted Babette's chin to look her in the eye. "_Chérie_, seriously. He's not going to marry you; we both know that. In a few months, you are going to birth his child. You will have all the help you need from us, of course, but I say that you put this to better use. If you sell it, it will be money for raising the baby. Just think about it."

Babette looked hesitant, but it did make sense. If she rid herself of the ring, life would be a lot easier, and indeed, the money could go towards the baby. _At least Lumière could contribute a small something towards his child, if nothing else_, she thought.

That decision led them to Monsieur Bijoutier's shop the next morning, bright and early.

"_Bonjour, mesdames_," he greeted, overdone false kindness abundant in his words as Odette and Aubrey led the way, Babette following close behind.

The ladies could hardly suppress a sarcastic response. Like every other storeowner in Paris, the man frowned upon having any Fleurette in his shop. However, their jewelry offers always brought him quite a bit of money, and therefore, a front was needed to keep them happy enough to return.

"What have you brought me today?" he asked knowingly.

Odette nudged Babette forward. Babette swallowed gently, gripping the ring in her fist one last time before she turned it over.

Bijoutier examined it closely. "Hmm, I don't know," he said thoughtfully. "A little on the older side, five, six years at least, but that is style for you, changes by the minute. Still, old could always be new again." He looked up at Babette. "How much are you looking for?"

Babette named a price, attempting what she thought to be the air of a firm businesswoman.

Bijoutier raised an eyebrow. "For this?" he asked. "Try about half of that."

"What monsieur fails to realize," Odette interrupted, the blood of a merchant still within her, "is that we've already inquired about the ring elsewhere, and actually had offers for what my friend is asking. Nobles themselves have told us that with a nice polish it would be worth her price, if not more. We wanted to give you a chance to match their price, since we've done business with you before, but if you're not interested – " She turned to walk out.

"Wait." Odette turned. Bijoutier held her gaze, trying to determine if there was any truth behind her words. Odette looked impatient.

With a long-suffering air, he made a counter-offer. "Take it or leave it."

"Done," Babette agreed, watching a bit mournfully as he pocketed her ring and handed back the money in its place.

"Good girl," Aubrey said, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly as she and Odette led Babette outside. "It'll be all right."

Babette took a deep breath and nodded. "_Oui_, it will, you are right."

Aubrey grinned then looked at Odette teasingly. "But, Christ, Odette, nobles? That was a little much, don't you think?"

Odette laughed, "What can I say? It's a gift. Growing up in a merchant family, you learn a good bluff or two should you ever need one. Besides, seeing that man put in his place, even if it's just a good bargain, is a joy in itself!"

Babette smiled in spite of herself as she listened to the exchange. She should be happy; she _was_ happy. Her past was at last behind her, and she could move on. That was a good thing…_non_?


	12. Chapter 11

_Chapter Eleven _

Avril made her way down to the maids' common room in a much better mood. After making her peace with Lumière a few days ago, things had been considerably nicer. She was never one for wanting to remain angry with someone, or have someone upset with her. But now that he had accepted her as a friend, she found herself actually looking forward to dinner and being in his presence. Even when she was having a bad day, he was able to make her laugh.

This, of course, did not go unnoticed. The common room was always abuzz with chatter and gossip. But today, as Avril entered the room, many pairs of eyes glanced her way, and the voices died down a bit. Though puzzled, she sent a smile to each of them, and found a place to sit as she waited for Sabine to join her.

Her wait was disturbed by Sophie and Jeanette. They entered the room and raced towards Avril as though they had wolves biting at their skirts, nearly smothering the poor girl when they pounced at the chaise she was sitting on.

"So?" Sophie asked, giddy as a schoolgirl at the beginning of summer.

Avril stared at her blankly, waiting for her to continue. "So…what?"

"So how'd you do it?" Jeanette finished.

"Do _what_?"

Sophie grinned, amused. "Look at her, as if she doesn't know!"

Avril could not help laughing gently herself. "Forget the 'as if'; I really don't. Would either of you care to explain?"

"Well, Lumière, of course!" Jeanette squealed, bringing just about every eye in the room on them, Avril noticed with a blush. "All of us want to know!" With a few nods and murmurs of agreement behind her, she asked slowly, "How did you win him over? He was practically icy around you before. What did you do to change his mind and catch his interest?"

Avril blushed a darker shade of red at what they could have been suggesting, but she sat tall and sure of herself. "Sorry to disappoint anyone," she said, with the slightest hint of sarcasm, "but we just talked things over, put an end to our differences. I did _not_ 'catch his interest.' He's my friend, just like any other."

Everyone just stared at her for a moment before Sophie and Jeanette led the way down a path of giggles. Avril looked at them, more than a little insulted.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Don't you understand what the word 'friend' means to Lumière?" Sophie countered. "You are on your way to becoming the woman that every single one wants to be!"

"And how exactly would you know that?" a strict female voice asked behind her, silencing each and every girl in the room.

Sophie looked up at her, biting her lip as Sabine held her serious ground. "Well…it's true," the younger girl said. "Everyone knows it, even you."

"And we also know that Monsieur Lumière is not completely incapable of friendship," Sabine said firmly. "Now I suggest you stop acting like children before rumors spread to hurt anyone."

Sophie and Jeanette glanced at Avril apologetically, and Avril nodded with a small smile before they vacated the chaise to make room for Sabine. Sabine, however, gestured for Avril to follow her.

"I don't need any gossipmongers listening in on us," she said, leading the way to her chambers. "It's bad enough that they were already set off by what they assume."

Avril looked at her, worried. "Sabine, you believe me, right?" she asked, unsure. "Lumière is a very nice, kind man; he's totally changed since we had our talk."

_That's what I'm worried about_, Sabine thought to herself.

"But you know that I would never…_do_ anything to change his mind," Avril continued, insistently. "We just talked, and he really is a _friend_, I promise!"

"Oh, _ma petite_, I know that," Sabine said reassuringly. "I trust you, absolutely. You're right, he is a very good friend to anyone he meets, and I'm glad you both settled your differences. Having to be around someone who isn't too fond of you is never a fun thing, and it's nice to see him giving you a chance to show what you can do." She continued softly, "But…he is still going through a bit of a rough time, and…"

"I know," Avril replied, cutting her off. "He still gets very quiet when certain matters come up, but if he doesn't want to tell me, I understand. He doesn't have to. We normally change the subject, and move on."

"Well, yes, that is a good idea," Sabine said, cautiously. "But surely you've heard that Lumière does have a very well-known reputation for being a ladies' man. With him not thinking clearly, he _could_ try to…work his charms, make himself feel better by once again living up to that…"

Avril waved her hand dismissively. "He hasn't tried anything. Wouldn't he have done so already?"

Sabine sighed, shaking her head. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Avril smiled warmly. "Really, you don't have to worry about me. I know what I'm doing. I only want you to know the truth."

Sabine returned the smile, and hugged her gently. "I do, and no matter what, you know you will always have me at your side. But promise me that you will be careful."

"I swear that I will."

ooo

Lumière gestured to his one hand, which had expertly gathered all three glasses comfortably, while Avril managed with the plates.

"You see?" he said, teasingly overconfident. "This is the reason we set them in a triangle. They're much easier to scoop up than they would be in your straight line!"

"I'm being poked fun at by a man who can't fold a simple napkin!" Avril countered jokingly.

"Simple?" Lumière cried. "Ha! Only a scholar can fold them as you do!"

Avril tossed her hair with a grin. "Glad you think so."

Lumière grinned, then teased, "You just wait. Someday I will get it right and then we shall see that ego of yours shrink tenfold!"

Avril gasped, mock insulted. "Some gentleman you are!"

"I certainly do try," Lumière laughed, heading for the kitchen with Avril in tow. Once everything was in there, ready to be washed, he stretched a bit as they returned to the dining room. Looking around, he decided, "I could use a change of scenery."

"You've only been in here serving dinner, for an hour or two," Avril said with a smile. "Is it really so terrible?"

"One or two hours too long," Lumière replied. "I want to get out for a bit, take a walk. I could use some nerve relaxation."

"Sounds like a plan," Avril agreed, walking towards the door. "I'd bundle up though; it's pretty cold out."

"Would you care to join me?"

Avril stopped and turned to him. "Are you sure?" she asked after a moment. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

Lumière smiled gently. "How could you be intruding if I asked you to?"

"Well, even though we're friends, sometimes people need to be alone," Avril explained. "But if you don't mind…"

"Should I take that as a yes?"

Avril mirrored his smile, sweetly. "You should."

Lumière nodded. "_Très bien_, get your coat and meet me in the foyer."

Avril quickly ran to do so, and soon enough, they were outside walking about the grounds.

"Nothing against this place, it's absolutely stunning," Avril said as they paused to lean against the short wall of the bridge. "But who in their right mind would build a castle on top of a mountain over such a deep gorge?"

"I do not have the slightest idea," Lumière chuckled. "Cogsworth is probably the one to ask in this case. He knows everything about this place."

"Remind me to ask him then," she said, looking out at the other surrounding areas. "Still, it sure is beautiful all the same."

"Indeed, there is no finer view anywhere else," Lumière agreed. Glancing at her, he added with a smirk, "And all the more beautiful with a lovely lady to share it with."

Avril could not suppress a grin. "From what I hear, you must have said that to many other 'lovely ladies,' huh?"

Lumière shrugged casually. "Perhaps, but not as many since…"

"Since…?" she asked when he trailed off.

"It does not matter," Lumière replied softly, immediately looking down into the gorge. "_Dieu_, a fall down there could break someone in half, _oui_?"

"Since what, Lumière?"

Lumière looked at her, as though confused. "What?"

Avril hesitated. She had sworn she would not pressure him, but both curiosity and concern were getting the best of her. "You…always avoid talking about what's troubling you. I feel bad, seeing you so upset."

Lumière laughed shakily. "I said it does not matter; do not worry."

"But I do," Avril said, touching his arm gently causing him to startle, but not pull away. "I hate to see my friends like this. Besides, if it doesn't matter, then why does it enter your mind in every conversation we have?"

"Some things can not be helped," he said. "It happened, and there is nothing you can do to change it."

"Maybe not, but perhaps…if you talk about it, you will feel better?" she suggested. When he looked at her, his expression unreadable, she added, "You know you don't have to…but try me. Go ahead."

Lumière kept silent. She had been a very good friend to him, which was surprising after what he had put her through before they made amends. He trusted her, of that he was certain. Maybe she was right. If he brought everything he had been feeling out into the open, maybe that would ease his heart.

Turning away, closing his eyes tightly, he paced a bit as he spoke. "You…figured it out the night we reconciled. You did replace someone very dear to me. She is…_was_ the love of my life."

Avril looked down. She had guessed that it was a woman to whom he was very close. "What happened?"

"We…had a fight, and she ran away," he said, his voice unsteady. "I did not think much of it at first. She had a habit of doing that, running off somewhere to calm down, and then coming back when she felt better. But I have been searching for her for over a month now, nearly two…and she is nowhere to be found."

Avril gaped at him, wide-eyed. "She just left? No word or anything?"

"No," he said with a sigh. "She had a fiery temper, and a passion to match," he added reminiscently

"She sounds…interesting."

Lumière laughed. "She was wonderful, everything a man could want: passionate, beautiful…mysterious and fun…amazing. She was like no other woman I had ever known."

Avril smiled. "No wonder you loved her."

"I adored her," he said, growing quiet again. "But…life intervened. I had proposed some time ago, and she really wanted to be married. But with all of the balls and celebrations, the royal wedding, the birth of the new prince, ambassadors and dignitaries flooding in…it was all too much. I wanted to wait till things settled down a bit before we took the big step of getting married."

Avril winced, sensing where this was headed. "Is that what you fought about?"

He nodded. "She did not want to hear 'wait' anymore, I suppose," he concluded. "I just wish I had said yes, run off that night to find a vicar even. If I did…she would still be here." Realizing what he had said, he quickly added, "I am sorry, I should not have…"

"No, no, it's all right!" Avril reassured. "You were very much in love with her. Feelings like those don't leave you that easily, and I don't blame you for being so cold because of them in the beginning. It must have hurt so much."

"I know, but it was not your fault," he said. "I did not mean to sound that way."

"No offense taken; I'm glad you told me," she said. "But to be honest, you shouldn't feel so guilty about any of this, even her running away."

Lumière looked at her curiously. "Really?"

Avril nodded. "If she didn't leave so suddenly, you two could have talked things out. But she just left you without a word or a trace, and you did everything you could to find her. It isn't as though you let her go without caring.

"Of course it still hurts, but don't feel guilty or wrong. It's all right to miss her, but take the first steps towards starting anew, you know?"

Lumière gazed at her, grateful for her words of encouragement. Avril understood everything that he had been feeling since Babette had disappeared. He felt the burden slowly lift from his shoulders as she spoke. She was right, there was no shame or wrong in moving on. If Babette could do it, why would it be wrong for him to do it too?

Smiling gently, he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "_Merci_," he said. "That does help a lot."

Avril looked up at him, taken aback by his show of gratitude. Gazing into his eyes, lost in the joy of seeing him truly happy, because of her, she smiled. "No trouble at all," she murmured.

Lumière's breath caught in his throat. Here, in the moonlight, happy for the first time in so long…a beautiful, caring woman so close to him, it felt invigorating. He reached to stroke her hair absently. Cradling her head tenderly, he could not resist kissing her, softly at first, giving her a chance to refuse him.

Avril was hesitant, knowing that such an action could easily be the emotion of the moment. He had been denied this for so long, and now there she was before him. Sabine's voice was ringing clearly in her mind, warning her to stop this now…but Avril dismissed it quickly. This didn't feel so terrible; to be honest, it felt very nice. She even found herself the tiniest bit upset when he pulled away.

"I am sorry…if I insulted you," he breathed, though his voice showed little to no regret of what his words implied.

Avril bit her lip nervously before she grinned. "You didn't have to stop," she said, reaching to draw him in again.

Lumière laughed gently. "One kiss, and suddenly she is an expert at this as well?"

Avril blushed profusely. "I think it may take a bit more teaching, but I learn very quickly, as you know," she said, giggling a bit at how uncharacteristically flirtatious she sounded.

"That works perfectly then," Lumière replied, elated to feel like his old self again. "Because I, _mademoiselle_, have been told that I am an excellent teacher."

"So prove it."

Lumière held her close to kiss her again, gradually growing more insistent than he was before. This was his moment to move on, and fortunately, he would have Avril by his side as time went on. Easing his pain would be much easier now that he had someone to help him through it. At least he would not be alone…not anymore.


	13. Chapter 12

_A/N: My gratitude to Ellery for helping to name the newest cameo OCs; thank you!_

_Chapter Twelve_

Babette arose earlier than usual one cold morning. Servant instinct had gradually slipped away over time, and it felt glorious to be able to wake up whenever she pleased. But on some days, her baby had other plans. The morning sickness had ended, but Babette swore that the child was starting to move. It was a small, fluttery movement, hardly anything earth-shatteringly noticeable. But it was happening, and she could not help her excitement.

Rummaging through her drawers, she found one of the new dresses that the girls had bought for her, her old ones having become too tight for comfort. She changed quickly, lazily deciding to leave her hair loose for once, and made her way downstairs, where she was surprised to find Odette and Aubrey in the tiny kitchen, sipping tea.

"You two are up early," Babette commented, getting a glass of water before joining them.

"Call it compassion," Odette teased. "We hear you getting up every morning lately, and feel bad you have no one to sit with." Babette grinned, nodding her thanks. Odette asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but pleasantly so," Babette replied, beaming. "It is wonderful to have the sickness gone. But now that the baby is moving, I am up all night thinking about it."

"Oh here we go," Aubrey sighed, shaking her head with a smirk. "Four months till the big day, and we're just as impatient as you are," she said, clearly playful. "All the sweetness, it's getting unbearable!"

Babette blushed, lowering her eyes a bit. She knew her friends meant well, loving to poke fun now and then. But sometimes, she wished that she had someone who could truly understand. The hard fact was that a baby was never entirely happy news around the hall. Her friends would always be there for her, she knew. Undoubtedly, they would be happy for her when the baby arrived; after all, something as precious as a newborn child was quite impossible to resist. But still, the truth of the matter was set. Odette and Aubrey would never feel the same way as Mrs. Potts or even Belle could, both being mothers themselves, and Babette found herself missing them dearly.

"It will all be over before we know it," Babette offered with a half-hearted smile. Changing the subject, she went on, "I think I will get out for a while, take a walk, and get some fresh air. It is not as cold today as it has been, and I could stop for things along the way if there is anything we need." Upon receiving their protesting expressions, she quickly added, "Please, one walk will not kill me."

Odette looked wary of the thought. "There _are_ a few things that I was going to pick up today…"

"I could get them."

"Then we'll get a ride for you," Aubrey suggested. "What if you suddenly don't feel well?"

But Babette would hear nothing of it. "_Non_, you two have done enough for me, _more_ than enough even," she said, adamant refusal in her tone. "A walk will do me good, and I could return so many of the favors that you have done for me."

Odette was still uncertain. "Swear on your life, if you don't feel well, you'll stop whatever you're doing and come right back?"

"I swear it."

"Honest to God, you're to drop everything and come immediately back home?"

Babette groaned, exasperated. "I am not a child; I am only having one! I will not break in half if I step foot outside. But if anything feels wrong, I will come straight back, I promise."

Odette sighed, defeated. "All right, I'll give you some extra money for a coach, just in case," she said.

"Fair enough," Babette agreed.

Once she had a money purse in hand and was bundled up tight (at her friends' annoying insistence), Babette immediately went about her way, grateful to be outside again. _Le Fleur Noir_ could get quite stuffy and hard to bear, and the cool air on her face felt refreshing as she headed down the road into the heart of Paris. Thankfully Odette had given her plenty to do to pass some time: a stop at the seamstress for some mended dresses, another at the market for some food.

By the time she had reached her final stop – old Bijoutier's store to sell some of girls' extra "gems" – Babette began to feel fatigue taking over. Constant lack of sleep, no matter how charming the cause, was not a good thing for her strength.

"Are you all right?" Bijoutier asked while counting the money to give her, a pathetic attempt at concern in his voice.

Babette nodded, a bit wearily. "_Oui, monsieur_, I will be fine."

But she felt uneasy as she watched him walk around the counter, gazing at her curiously. He handed her the money, but placed his hand too familiarly over hers.

"You could stay a bit in the backroom, I don't mind," he murmured.

Babette swallowed, alarmed about where this was going. "That is very…considerate of you, but _non, merci_."

She pulled away, but he held his grip, drawing her back to him.

"Come now, just a quick little…rest," he insisted. "Sweet little trick like you could use one." He reached into his pocket, and pressed more money into her hand before his hand moved to her middle and backside. "A little something extra to bring home if you do, just for you, and with a baby on the way, you need it."

Tearing herself away, Babette threw the extra money at him angrily. "The last thing I need is any of the 'hospitality' that you have in mind," she growled. "Good day, _monsieur_."

Storming out of the store, Babette walked as fast and far away as she could, growing more exhausted all the while. She did not want to go back to the dance hall in this state and give the girls more reason to worry than they'd had before. Babette would never see the light of day again if they thought that they were right. But she could not deny feeling her energy draining either. When she could not walk another step, she looked around desperately for a place to sit. Luckily, she had stopped near a park, and a glorious bench was just waiting for her. Glancing heavenward, she muttered a quick "_Merci_!" before using whatever she had left inside to continue towards it.

Slumping onto the seat, she looked around the wide-open space to rid her mind of what had happened in the store. The park was the perfect picture of a tolerable winter's day. The weather was not too frigid, the grass was still green, but the trees were bare, waiting for spring to bring life back into them. Then Babette saw a woman approach the bench. She was perhaps a bit younger than Babette but from the look of her middle, vastly farther along in pregnancy.

"May I join you?" the woman asked, offering a hopeful smile.

Babette instantly slid to one side. "But of course, go right ahead," she replied invitingly.

"Oh, _merci beaucoup_!" the woman sighed gratefully, easing slowly onto the bench. "Not the most comfortable, but I'll take what I can get."

Babette laughed gently. "I totally understand," she said, caressing her middle in explanation. "Though you definitely deserve a place here more than I do."

The woman waved dismissively. "Not at all, when we have to rest, we have to rest," she reassured. "First child?"

Babette nodded. "Is it that obvious?" she asked, grinning. "Desperate to sit when I do not have much to show for myself?"

"Well, it does take some getting used to, _oui_," the woman said sympathetically. Conspiratorially, she added with a smile, "This is my second, and it still isn't an easy." Babette laughed again, and the woman joined her before offering her hand in introduction. "Emeraude, glad to share a seat with you."

Babette returned the gesture. "Babette, glad to have the company." Hearing a child squealing in the distance, she looked up to find a little girl exploring nearby. "Is that your first?" she asked curiously.

Emeraude smiled, adoringly. "Certainly is, my daughter Vivienne." Seeing the girl about to tackle a small bird that had flown down, she cried, "Vivi! Leave it be!"

Little Vivi looked away long enough for her prey to fly over her head towards a tree. Pointing to it, she called out, "Bird, _maman_!" She toddled after it as fast as her little feet could carry her, waiting for it to come back. The bird refused to come down, however, and before long, something else had caught Vivi's attention.

Emeraude and Babette shared a grin at the sight.

"How old is she?" Babette asked.

"'Two and a half,' as she will proudly tell you," Emeraude said, amused. "She's quite a handful, as you can see; anything easily fascinates her. But it's just so endearing to watch. It feels like yesterday that I was holding her in my arms every hour of the day, but to see her grow and explore and play…it's quite a feeling." She paused to laugh, blushing slightly. "_Dieu_, listen to me, I must sound crazy!"

Babette shook her head. "Oh _non_, not at all!" she insisted. "Please go on. If there is anything wonderful about this, I would love to hear it!"

"Too many horror stories, eh?" Emeraude asked.

_Stories, bah, try horror reality_, Babette thought, but aloud, she simply said, "Indeed, far too many."

"Something to look forward to, it is!" Emeraude replied. "I'll be perfectly honest: actually bringing the baby into the world…well, that part isn't so delightful."

Babette grimaced at the thought, shifting uncomfortably. "Is it really _that_ bad?"

"I'm afraid so," Emeraude said with a frown. "But believe me, it is all worth it."

"How so, exactly?"

"Well, seeing the baby for the first time, of course," Emeraude laughed before calming into a dreamy smile. "There is no sight in the world more amazing than that. I mean, it's one thing when you're carrying the baby, but it's more of an anticipation still, like you know it's coming but it doesn't feel quite so real yet."

"I know exactly what you mean," Babette agreed. "Like a present, cliché as that sounds."

"That's it," Emeraude said. "Very much so. All this time, you're seeing that unopened gift just sitting there, and you're waiting to unwrap it. When you can, it's…incredible!" She paused again, her smile broadening. "If there's anything I remember from that night, it really wasn't the pain, but when Vivi was put into my arms. Tired as I was, I heard her cry and I had to see her, hold her. Oh, she was so small and beautiful! She snuggled into my arms, her screams quieted, and I just looked at this new…_life_ that was relying on me to love her as much as she loved me. It certainly makes you feel overwhelmed, but absolutely awed."

Babette did not resist the need to smile at the idea. It did sounds absolutely heavenly. Her entire life, all she had ever wholeheartedly wanted was someone to love who could love her as much. Hearing about such an unconditional love and strong bond, remembering how close she was to her mother, made her even more elated and impatient for the day to come.

Any reply that she could give was interrupted as Vivi raced towards them, carrying something in her hand. "Maman! Maman!" she called.

Emeraude's attention immediately turned to her daughter. "What is it, _petite_?"

Vivi proudly held up her newest discovery: a shiny purplish rock. "Look!" she said, a big smile on her face. "Pretty!"

"Ah, _oui_, very pretty!" Emeraude agree, examining the rock closely. "We'll bring it home and clean it, make it more pretty, how about that?"

Vivi nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, more pretty!"

"With that in mind, it's almost lunch time; we should be getting home," she told Babette, regret clear in her words. "This was so nice, talking to someone about everything; I hate to see it end."

"Likewise," Babette replied solemnly. "But you are right, I should be heading home. The family is already worried that I went out today."

"Isn't that always the way?" Emeraude laughed. Smiling, she stood up with Babette's help. "It really was nice to meet you. We come by here often if you ever need someone to talk to."

"I would like that," Babette agreed sincerely. "Hopefully we will meet again soon!"

"Absolutely!"

With those parting words, Emeraude and Vivi headed home, leaving Babette feeling better than she had in quite some time as she gathered her things. The burden earlier at the store forgotten and with a renewed spring in her step, she made her way back to _Le Fleur Noir_.


	14. Chapter 13

_Chapter Thirteen_

As his staff began clearing the dinner table, Lumière reached into his pocket before moving to take the plates from Avril. Subtly, he pressed a folded piece of paper into her hand with a wink before disappearing into the kitchen. When the dining room was empty, she subtly unfolded it to read.

"_The servants' entrance after the kitchen is clear."_

Avril refolded it quickly, walking to a nearby sitting room to "continue working" until she saw the last of the kitchen staff leave for the night. When she arrived at the entrance, she looked around the tiny corridor for Lumière. His shadow on the wall gave away his attempt to surprise her, and she turned on him, gripping his hands with a smirk.

"I must be far too predictable, or else you are simply too smart for me," he teased, taking advantage of his capture to pull her in for a quick kiss.

"Mmm, I think the second choice sounds like the best one," she replied, wrapping her arms around him.

Lumière smiled promisingly, but shook his head. "Not yet, _petite_. Wait right there."

He opened the door that led outside, taking a cautious sweeping glance around the grounds. When he was certain that no one could see them, he took Avril's hand, gave it an affectionate squeeze, and then gestured for her to follow him. She could hardly keep up as they bolted for another in-ground door that led to the wine cellar.

When they made it down the steps, Lumière immediately drew her close to explore her a bit more with his kiss. Avril sighed, but not happily, pulling away gently.

"We're hiding again," she whispered.

"What?"

"We're hiding again," she repeated. "We're always hiding. Why?"

Lumière shook his head in disagreement. "We are not; we are only keep our intimacy…well, intimate," he replied with a laugh. Her smile, however, was a little…sad, or disappointed perhaps. Whichever it was, he knew there was something amiss. Being with numerous women had taught him well enough. "What is it, _chérie_?"

Avril glanced up at him as he held her comfortingly close. "Did you hide like this when it came to other women?" she asked, but immediately regretted her words. "I don't want to be ungrateful or sound like I'm complaining. But I can't help wondering if you think that this is all wrong, as though you're ashamed of us."

She was not exactly correct, but she was not far off either, Lumière thought guiltily. He had been keeping their new relationship as confidential as he possibly could. Gossip could be prevented easily if he was careful in his planning of where and when to see her. No one _had _to know about them; it was none of their business. Still, why did he suddenly care about what others thought? After all, he was simply a man getting on with his life, precisely as she had done. What was so terrible with that?

_The lurking, unshakable sense in the back of your mind that this is a mistake, that's what_, he scolded himself mentally.

With his well-known charming grin, Lumière stroked Avril's soft golden locks tenderly, deciding on a safer explanation. "Ashamed?" he asked. "Never! You are right; we have been hiding a lot. But that is only because what I have found in you makes me so happy that I want to be a tad selfish and keep it for myself."

Avril smiled gently after a pause. "You're very sweet, _mon cher_," she said, gazing at him adoringly. "I've never felt like this before, and I guess I wanted to show everyone how equally happy I am with you. But you know better than me. If you think we should wait longer, then I will."

As if he did not feel torn enough already…Lumière's smile weakened a bit, but thankfully only someone with a trained eye would notice. By way of distraction, he kissed her again. He had already lost one woman because of his emotions; he would not do it again. What could he possibly do to show her that he really did care? What occasion was coming up where he could willingly and proudly have her on his arm?

"The Christmas party," he blurted out, pulling away. That was it!

It took Avril admittedly a minute to regain her senses. How a kiss was able to make her feel dizzy, she would never know. "Hmm?"

Lumière chuckled, pleased with her reaction. "I think I have the answer to our problem," he said. "On Christmas Eve, all of the servants are given the night off. It is a tradition amongst us to have a small party. Nothing grand, only food, music, dancing; overall, it is a relaxing evening with friends and loved ones."

"Sounds like fun," Avril agreed.

"Indeed it is, very much," Lumière replied. A playful twinkle in his eye, he lifted her hand to his lips. "Although it would be even more fun should a certain lady give me the honor of accompanying her. I would love to see the envy on every man's face when I walk in with her at my side…for all to see."

Avril's smile broadened joyfully. "Really? You mean it?"

"But of course! If you like, I will even ask you formally." He gripped her hand and cleared his throat, an overdramatic expression present to match his tone. "Mademoiselle Avril, would you make me the luckiest man in the castle by agreeing to attend the party with me?"

Avril laughed, hugging him. "I thought you'd never ask!" she cried teasingly. Pulling back to look at him, she answered sincerely, "I'm looking forward to it."

Lumière grinned. "So am I, _chérie_, so am I."

ooo

The next two weeks passed by in a blur. Lumière frowned, not as happy as one should be on Christmas Eve. He stared at the small open box in front of him. A few simple hair ribbons for a gift to a woman he cared for? He could not do better than that? _Not with this girl_, he thought, placing the lid on it and shoving it angrily aside.

Lumière leaned against the windowsill, gazing absently out at the snow. That first Christmas after the spell was broken had been miraculous, exactly how this time of year was supposed to feel. Years of wasting away were over, and there was reason to celebrate again. Who would have thought the very next year could be so awful?

On the other side of his closed door, he heard the delightful sounds of giddiness and excitement. He could see many of the voices' owners in his mind. Those on the decorating staff raced to complete their work with any final touches left. Young men, whose nerves had pushed them to the last minute, finally found the courage to ask a lady of their choice to the festivities. The girls went about finishing their work all the while chatting about what they would wear. Chip and the other children gleefully ran down the different hallways. Lumière could have sworn he had even heard Cogsworth praising the staff for once. That in itself was quite the Christmas miracle, Lumière mused solemnly, humor quite surprisingly not easing him.

_Who are you trying to fool? _he thought, closing his eyes tightly shut. He was the only one who was miserable. Ever since Avril had confronted him about avoiding the eyes of others, Lumière could not get it off of his mind, and the more he thought of it, the more he realized that it was not about what _others_ would think. It was about…_her_. Babette. The guilt over finding another woman was toying with him, and he realized that it was not people he was hiding from. It was Babette, as though she could sense what he was doing even if she was gone.

Lumière smacked the wall in frustration. That was entire point: Babette was _gone_! Wherever she was, whatever she was doing, he did not matter to her anymore! It was over, and he should be able to continue on with his life in peace!

Well, tonight would be it: the night that he would finally prove to himself that he was not in the wrong. Tonight, Avril would be on his arm, and he would feel neither shame nor guilt about it at all. He turned back to where Avril's gift was sitting on his dresser. Picking it up, he grasped it firmly in his hand and headed for her room, knocking gently on her door.

"Just a minute!" Avril's voice cried from the other side. True to her word, her door opened shortly after, and Lumière smiled sincerely at the sight. She wore a simple blue dress, a slightly lighter shade than his own ensemble, and her golden hair was tied back loosely, delightfully displaying her pretty face for the world to see.

"You look beautiful," he offered, gallantly taking her hand in his to kiss it. "An absolute vision of loveliness."

Avril ducked her head, blushing a bit. "_Merci, monsieur._ You're quite handsome yourself."

"What, these old things?" Lumière asked, mockingly disgusted with his choice of outfits. "This is nothing compared to you, _mon ange._" He paused to wink, adding, "Though I am honored by your approval."

When they fell into a shy silence, Avril gestured to the gift box. "What do you have there?" she asked curiously.

"Oh this!" Lumière laughed, holding it out to her. "I am so sorry. I must have been too pleasantly distracted that I forgot. This is for you." He held it out stiffly in front of him, very much resembling a boy on his first outing with a lady. "_Joyeux Noël_!"

Avril accepted it with a grin of thanks. "Lumière, really you shouldn't have," she said, opening the box. Her smile broadened upon seeing the ribbons. "Oh, they're so pretty, _merci_!" She took the ribbon from her hair and replacing it with one of those in the box. "There, how does it look?" she asked, turning for him to see.

"Ah, _très jolie_!" he said, offering his arm when she faced him again. "Now, I do believe that I shall burst if I have to wait any longer to show off my stunning lady to everyone. Shall we?"

"Let's!" she agreed happily, linking her arm with his and following him downstairs.

Prior to the spell, the servants had celebrated the holiday amongst themselves in the servants' quarters while Vincent kept to himself, locked up in his room. Following the broken enchantment, Christmas Eve was moved to the ballroom at both the prince and princess' insistence where all could enjoy the time together, and they most certainly did. Many couples began to dance as music filled the room, including Belle and Vincent themselves. Near the warm fireplace, Mrs. Potts was reading to Chip from a storybook that the master and mistress had given the boy last year. Maurice sat close by enjoying the tales with Alexandre on his knee, the very image of a proud grandfather with his growing grandson. Across the room, a long table had been laid out with enough food to fill all of France, and Cogsworth already had a plate piled high with refreshments.

"_Dieu_, this place looks amazing!" Avril murmured, childlike joy shining in her eyes. "Look at that tree; it's huge and practically glowing!"

Lumière smiled warmly. "It certainly is," he commented. "We have a wonderful group of people that works hard on making the castle look beautiful for the holidays. Looks like they did a marvelous job, as usual."

"They really did," Avril agreed, moving closer to get a better look, examining the different ornaments with interest. "The tree was always my favorite when I was little. Some of the footmen would bring back a smaller one for the servants' wing and my sister and I, with the rest of the children, would run down there instantly to start decorating it."

"I can imagine," Lumière replied. "It simply is not Christmas without the tree; it truly sets the perfect mood."

They were disturbed from their conversation by a smattering of applause as the music drew to a close. But it was not long before another tune began, and Lumière smirked playfully.

"I know already that you are quite the expert in everything you can do," he said. "Do I dare to ask if dancing is also on that list?"

"I wouldn't say an expert this time," Avril countered, reflecting his expression. "But I think I'm good enough to match you."

"Then may I have this dance, _mademoiselle_?" he asked, holding out his hand. "So that we may see if that is the truth?"

"You may, _monsieur_," she said, placing her own into his. "Let's see if you yourself are as good as you say!"

Avril wasn't disappointed with the "challenge." She admittedly had to make quite an effort to keep up with Lumière during the quicker songs, and for a while, they were having a wonderful time. But once slower, softer ones started to play, Lumière's mood seemed distracted. He was suddenly stiff and a bit uncomfortably awkward. His charming smile faded, though a hint of it still remained. She even noticed that his eyes began to avoid hers, looking down at his feet and around the room at random.

"Lumière? _Mon cher_, are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

"Hmm? Oh, _oui_," he replied, his grin broadening forcibly in realization. "It is the sudden change in the dancing style. I can dance to the faster songs with the best of them, but this, I am not so talented."

Avril laughed gently. "I have to say, from you, 'every lady's dream,' that's a little surprising."

Lumière remained silent at that, and Avril winced, not meaning to sound insulting had she done so. Biting her lip gently, she led him away from the floor, attempting a smile. "Never mind, we'll skip this one," she asked.

"Good idea," Lumière agreed softly, offering a light smile in return. As though trying to save the moment, he hastily asked, "Would you like something to drink? Dancing always makes me thirsty."

"_Oui, merci_."

"Then I will be right back."

Avril worriedly watched him go to the table, waiting patiently by the punch while others took some of their own. Something didn't seem right. She and Lumière had always jested like that. Had her words really upset him this once?

Sophie and Jeanette's voices beside her interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm so jealous!" Jeanette squealed, though she grinning giddily.

"You do realize that we want _all_ the details tomorrow?" Sophie added, just as excited. "We have the day off, and normally everyone gathers in the common room. We expect you there as soon as possible."

"Yes! We want to hear _everything_!" Jeanette concluded.

Avril had to laugh. "I think you'll both be disappointed," she told them. "Lumière's been very much a gentleman. Nothing as scandalous as you think."

Sophie giggled. "The night's still young, so we'll see!" she said with a wink and nudge. When Lumière walked to rejoin Avril, Sophie quickly whispered, "Have fun!"

They were gone by the time Lumière was at Avril's side again and handing her a glass. "What was that about?" he asked.

"Nothing really," Avril answered dismissively. "Just the usual: friends looking for some holiday cheer and gossip."

"Ah, I see," Lumière replied, drawing her close and kissing her cheek. Whispering in her ear, he said, "What did I tell you? We are the envy of everyone in the room!"

"We certainly are," Avril agreed quietly. Taking a sip of punch, she once again asked, "Lumière, are you sure you're all right? I really didn't mean to say anything unkind before…"

"You said nothing of the sort," he interrupted. "I told you, I am fine, and I mean it. Do not worry yourself, _ma plumette_."

Avril looked at him, curiously. "That's a new pet name; never heard it before."

"_Mon ange_!" Lumière cried, shaking his head with weak laughter. "So many beautiful names for a lady that I forget which is my favorite to use for you!"

If she was reassured whatsoever, Avril felt it all vanish from that reaction. Maybe this was all too soon for him, too fast.

Tenderly, she grasped his hand, bringing it to her cheek. "You've done exactly what I wanted – actually being with me in front of friends – and I'm very grateful. I think…that entitles you to a reward."

His interest immediately perked up. "Really now?"

Avril smiled, tugging him towards the door. "Come with me, you deserve some alone time…and I think I want some myself."

Lumière laughed, delighted, his famous playful smirk immediately taking over. "How can I refuse such an invitation?"

Without further conversation, they left their glasses on a small table and raced down the hallway. With no one in sight, Lumière took full advantage of the moment, pulling her close to press an urgent kiss upon her lips. Stunned by the gesture, Avril melted against him, fully returning the favor just as she had learned in their time together.

"Funny," she gasped, breathlessly pulling away. "I didn't see any mistletoe hanging around here."

"Who needs it?" Lumière asked, hungrily continuing what he had set out to do.

He did not release her, even as she reached to open the door to a sitting room, pulling him inside with her. When he took a good look around the room, however, he stalled at the doorway. Pulled to a halt by his hesitance, Avril looked at him.

"Lumière, are you coming in?"

Still he did not budge. Managing to slip her hand free from his grasp, Avril moved towards the chaise to sit down, grinning adorably as she patted the place next to her.

"Come on, I won't bite."

Lumière's attention returned to her, and she watched as he broke into a smirk again. Slowly walking to sit beside her, he said teasingly, "And I was very much hoping that I could get you to do so."

Avril blushed the brightest shade of red, though her smile remained. "Well, let's see if you still can," she whispered, rather shyly. It constantly surprised her how he had found and brought out such boldness in her that she never knew existed.

Lumière swallowed at the temptation behind her words. "I will hold you to that," he replied huskily, drawing her to him with the same passion and fervor that he had in the hall.

He had never kissed her like this, and it truly took all of Avril's strength not to swoon right there in his arms. Lumière was always so gentle, taking things slowly with her. Not even in their time alone was he this intense and earnest. But when she thought she would faint from such exhilaration, Lumière pried his lips away from hers, moving them other places to explore: her ear, her cheek, then down to her neck and shoulder, all of them bringing out a new and different sensation within her. Under his experienced ministrations, Avril gasped pleasurably.

"Mmm… Lumière…"

"…my sweet Babette, _je t'aime_…"


	15. Chapter 14

_Chapter Fourteen_

Avril's eyes snapped open upon hearing his words.

"What was that?" she asked, squirming uncomfortably to get away. "Lumière, stop."

He did not hear her words, but always one to sense a lady's discomfort, Lumière obeyed. "What?"

"You…you called me Babette," she explained, utterly confused.

Lumière pulled away, his desire replaced by awkwardness. "I did not mean to, _ma petite_, really. Forgive me, I do not know what came over me."

Avril averted her gaze, and the wretched feeling of guilt welled up inside Lumière once again. When would the emotion at last leave him alone?

"Avril," he said earnestly, taking her hand. "I swear it will not happen again."

"But who is Babette?" Avril demanded. "Is that the girl who came before me?"

"A forgotten memory," Lumière emphasized. "That is all she is."

Avril looked at him, hurt. "Then it's true," she confirmed.

"_Oui_, but it is not important – "

"Don't tell me that again," she interrupted, her voice raised slightly to make it clear that she wouldn't accept vague answers anymore. "If she wasn't important, if she _is_ a 'forgotten memory,' then why are you still thinking about her?" Seeing the dejected look on his face, Avril quieted herself a bit. Upset or not, she was never one for confrontations. "You're still in love with her, aren't you?"

Lumière stood, turning his back on her as he moved to a corner. It was the only acknowledgement that Avril needed as an answer.

"I have tried, honestly tried as much as I could," Lumière muttered, breaking the silence. "I just…it is too hard to let her go."

Avril rose from her seat. Crossing the room, she stood behind him, holding him close. Lumière took a deep breath to contain his emotions. Only when he was certain that he could speak calmly did he turn to her.

"Avril, I am sorry," he said mournfully.

"Don't," she said, shaking her head gently. "Don't apologize; don't say anything you don't mean."

"But I sincerely do," he said. "I _do_ care for you. You were there when I needed a friend, and for that, I am grateful. But that is all that it should have been: a friendship."

Avril wiped her eyes, hiding any emotion under a rueful laugh. "I guess I really should've known better."

Lumière shook his head. "It is not your fault. Avril, trust me, you are an amazing woman. You will make a man very lucky to call you his own one day…but that man is not me. I only hope that I can call myself fortunate enough to count you as a friend after all of this."

Avril took a deep breath, offering a faint smile. "I'd like that," she replied, softly, not able to stay entirely upset with him. Lumière was a good man deep down, that she couldn't deny. He had been so kind, and looked out for her. That was what made this so difficult. She knew that if his heart truly belonged to another then he would never be free to love her, and it wouldn't be fair to either of them under those circumstances. But she still couldn't help feeling disappointed at what could have been between them.

Hugging him tightly, she sniffed back any tears, determined not to cry. "I hope she realizes what she left behind someday," she murmured. "You really are wonderful."

Lumière paid little heed to her last words; thoughts of Babette had ruined enough as it was. But he tightened his hold affectionately before pulling back to offer his hand. "Come, I will bring you back to the party."

"Are you going to stay?" she asked, following his lead.

Lumière shook his head, standing with her outside the ballroom doors. "_Non_, I think it is best that I stay away. I do not want to ruin the spirit anymore than I already have."

Avril touched his arm, concerned. "Are you sure? Maybe it'll do you some good."

Lumière kissed her hand, patting it gently. "I am of little use to anyone in this state, _ma chérie_. You go on and enjoy; you deserve to. I am sure the girls are in there waiting for you; they will be much better company."

Avril sighed, hating to see him like this, but in the end, she decided it was best to leave him be. Placing one last kiss at his cheek, she promised, "Everything will be all right. But if you ever need anyone to talk to, you know where to find me."

Lumière smiled to appease, not wanting her to be too upset. "Go on, I will be fine, I promise."

With those parting words, she was gone, another woman that he had loved and lost due to his foolishness. Thoroughly spent emotionally, Lumière headed for his room, the sounds of merriment continuing behind him.

ooo

As compassionate as Cogsworth tried to be, his patience was wearing thin by the week's end.

"The twit has certainly outdone himself this time," he sighed with exasperation as he and Mrs. Potts sat in the servants' wing one evening, each sipping a cup of tea. "Beginning a brand new year with his insufferable moping! I won't stand for it much longer."

"Come now, Cogsworth, can you really blame him?" Mrs. Potts asked. "After everything that's happened? The poor dear, he's just heartbroken."

"It has been two months now," Cogsworth reminded her. "Babette isn't coming back. What else can we do to make that clear to him?"

"Honestly? I don't think we can; he has to come to terms with it himself."

Cogsworth closed his eyes tightly, her answer not being the one that he was looking for. He took a big gulp of tea in frustration, cringing in dire pain as he realized too late that the tea was still too hot to gulp. Lumière would certainly be the death of him at this rate!

"If we leave it up to him, this will not end!" he growled.

Mrs. Potts shook her head with a tiny smile. Cogsworth just couldn't understand affairs of the heart. "It's not as easy as you think."

Cogsworth frowned. "It was never so hard for him before."

"But this isn't just 'any girl,'" she said pointedly. "Babette means a lot more to him than that. When you love someone that much, it's an awful, _awful_ feeling to lose them." Mrs. Potts sighed wistfully. "Believe me, I know. When I lost my husband, I grieved for so long."

Cogsworth shifted uncomfortably but nodded. "I understand," he acknowledged. "But…this isn't the same kind of loss. If it was, I could see better reasoning in this. The man should be able to move on! Why can't he see that?"

"I don't think he wants to." Mrs. Potts looked at Cogsworth thoughtfully. "Although…perhaps if he had a friend who would help him…"

"Don't give me that look!" Cogsworth protested, knowing full well where this was headed. "Lumière, the Master of Romance, does not need help from me; I don't think he will even accept it if I offered."

Mrs. Potts shook her head, seemingly forlorn. "Very well," she said, raising her cup. "I suppose if you _can't_ do it, that's perfectly all right."

Cogsworth nodded. "That's right, I can't…" He paused before frowning at her, hurt. "Who said that I couldn't? I never said _that_."

"Then you can?"

"Absolutely!"

Mrs. Potts smiled behind the teacup as she took a sip. A bit of psychology went a long way with Cogsworth; it never failed. "Of course, you can; what was I thinking?" she proclaimed heartily. "If anyone can make the boy see reason, it's you."

"I most certainly can, and I will!"

"Right now?"

"Right now! Please excuse me!"

It was not until he was standing outside Lumière's door, about to knock, that Cogsworth realized he had been sneakily tricked. His confident façade fell. This was not just about poor work ethics or Lumière's constant moments of laziness. This was about…personal lives and romantic feelings, two things that Cogsworth honestly was not well versed in. But he was so desperate to get life back into proper order and routine that he knew this had to be done. It would do everyone a world of good, especially Lumière.

Rapping quickly on the door, Cogsworth waited impatiently for an answer, wanting to get this over with. The sooner he could talk some sense into Lumière, the better, and the lack of a reply was not helping his nerves.

"Lumière!" he called, knocking harder. "Lumière, let me in! I need to have a word with you!"

"It is unlocked!" Lumière's voice called absently from the other side.

Cogsworth pushed the door open, muttering under his breath with frustration. This was going to be far from easy, and the sight of the room and its owner confirmed that. The meager flame of a nearly-melted lit candle on the bedside table was the only source of light. Staring out of the tiny window, Lumière sat practically lifeless. His normally well-kept hair was tied back sloppily, as though just to keep his hair out of his face, and he was showing slight signs of having not shaved in a week's time. Cogsworth could smell the scent of wine in the room. That wasn't so bad; Lumière could handle wine very well. _At least he was kind enough to not be unbelievably drunk with stronger liquor_, Cogsworth thought, sarcastic but thankful.

"Let me save you the trouble," Lumière offered once he heard the door shut. "Give me a few days, and I will be all right."

"You have had plenty," Cogsworth answered, stepping closer. "New Year's has passed already. Considering that you've been this upset since Christmas, yes, I'd say that is more than 'a few days.'"

"I need a few more."

"Denied," Cogsworth said firmly, making his way around to look Lumière in the eyes. He involuntarily gasped at the sight when Lumière looked up at him angrily. Dark circles under the Frenchman's eyes made it clear that his sleeping habits were not in tip-top shape.

"Dear God, Lumière…look at you!"

Lumière gazed at him blankly before breaking into sordid-sounding laughter. "Payback feels wonderful, _non_? You turn my own words against me."

Cogsworth raised an eyebrow, not recalling what Lumière meant, but he brushed that inconsequential thought aside. There were more important things to talk about.

"I take it sleep has not been kind to you?" he asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Lumière replied sarcastically, the laughter dying down. "No reason to go on, but memories and pathetic hope keep me alive. It is the story of our lives, _oui_? This time, I just have to do it alone." He stopped, looking around the room for something. "Where is that wine bottle?"

Cogsworth shot a hand towards Lumière's shoulder as he stood to follow through with the search. "The last thing you need to be is drunk right now…unless you already are…"

Lumière shoved the man's hand away. "I am not drunk; unfortunately, I am quite sober."

"I appreciate it," Cogsworth muttered bitterly before getting to the matter at hand. "As I was saying, your requested 'few days' are up. In the beginning of it all, I didn't hold your actions against you. But now…"

"The mourning period is over?" Lumière finished for him. "You know something, you are right. It is over…_everything_ is over."

"Well, I wouldn't say that…"

"You do not have to; I already know!" Lumière rose from the chair, so forcefully that it overturned. "She is gone, she is not coming back! Do you think I have not heard it all before? _Dieu_, you are constantly telling me that!" He snorted under his breath, scoffing, "I thought you would actually be happy about it! You never wanted her here in the first place!"

Cogsworth scowled indignantly. "Excuse me?"

"You have gotten your wish; you should be thrilled!"

"Take that back!" Cogsworth shouted. He hadn't expected Lumière to be pleasant, but such accusations, he would not tolerate! "I may not be the easiest person to deal with, and I certainly don't approve of slacking off! But I _never_ saw any good coming from Babette running away! How dare you, even suggesting such an idea! I'm practical, but not cold-blooded!"

Lumière stared at him for a long moment, his jaw visibly clenching. Turning away, he dug his fingers into his hair, his eyes tightly closed, as he sat on the bed and lowered his head.

"I am sorry, I did not mean that," he said, his voice shaking. Shuddering as though he were freezing, Lumière moved to cross his arms, keeping his gaze at the floor. "I…I just…I do not know what to do anymore."

Cogsworth bit his lip, unsure of what to say. He picked up the chair and pulled it in front of Lumière before he sat down.

"I-I know that," he offered. "But…this isn't your fault."

"Yes, it is."

"How? Babette is the one who decided to leave."

Lumière shook violently, his voice trembling. "But if only…if only I had…"

"If only you'd what?" Cogsworth urged gently.

The look on Lumière's face was one that Cogsworth was certain he never wanted to see on him again. For as long as he'd known Lumière, he had never once seen the Frenchman cry, not even when hope seemed lost for the spell. Even in that darkest hour, Lumière was everyone's ray of solace. But now, that had vanished, and his calm, collected features were contorted with agony and despair. It was all too clear how much this was truly tearing him apart.

"I made her…the most important promise years ago. One that I had never given to another woman," Lumière explained, choking on a sob. "And I broke it. I have been putting it foolishly aside for far too long, and now I have lost her because of it."

Lumière hid his face in folded hands. Cogsworth reached to pat his shoulder, every bit the comforting friend, the supportive brother that Lumière needed right now.

"I miss her so much, Cogsworth, it literally hurts!" Lumière went on, his words and gasps for breath muffled. "I love her, I always have! I want…_non_, I _need_ her beside me again!" He looked up at the older man desperately. "I know it seems like all we have is disregard for everything, and I know it must be hard for you to see past that. But please, _please_ understand! Babette is the one – the only one – that I need in my life. Without her, I am nothing! I can not keep going on without her!"

Cogsworth opened his mouth a few times to speak, trying to pick his words correctly.

"But…I think she's made it perfectly clear that she…has moved on," he said gently, attempting to sound reasonable yet compassionate. "I know you miss her, but…my friend, you deserve some happiness after the storm as well. You felt guilty for not keeping this promise of sorts, but I'm sure your reasons for not following through with it were justified." Cogsworth stopped, knowing that this wasn't helping at all.

"What happened with Avril?" he asked cautiously. "She's a fine young lady, and seeing the both of you at the party together, it was the happiest you've been in so long."

Lumière felt even worse having been reminded of Avril. "It never should have gone as far as it did."

"Why do you say that?"

Lumière shook his head. "I knew I could never feel for her what I do for Babette, _mon ami_. You are right; Avril is a wonderful girl. But it was all wrong and she did not deserve such unfairness."

"But you two looked like you got along swimmingly, a lovely couple in the making," Cogsworth protested.

"Attraction is one thing; love is another," Lumière said. "She was there when I was at the end of the line. It did feel right then, instinctual even; lose a girl and gain another, _oui_? But after Babette…I could not think that way anymore, as much as I tried.

"The party did not help either. I made the promise to Babette that last Christmas when the spell was cast. We sat in the same sitting room that Avril and I ran off to; we danced to the same music. It was one memory after another and I could not bear it. I knew I was practically leading Avril on, and she did not deserve that. We broke it off before the night was over."

Cogsworth sighed. "That was a very noble thing to do, and utterly understandable," he said. "Maybe it was indeed too soon. I know you loved Babette very deeply, and I suppose I shouldn't have expected any less than this."

He continued in a strong voice, trying to set an example. "But Lumière, have you looked at yourself? You have to pick yourself up before you no longer can! Babette was a gigantic part of your life, but I beg you, for your own sake, think a bit more reasonably for once. She had a habit of running off, that much we know. But to disappear for two months without a trace?"

Fresh tears began pouring down Lumière's cheeks as he nodded weakly.

"It is time," Cogsworth went on. "If I know Babette at all in the entire time that she's lived here, I'd guess that she did make it beyond the woods. As the master has repeatedly said, if she were hurt, than we would have found her long ago, so she must be alive. She is also very…tough in her own right; she could look out for herself well enough. Therefore, I think she is quite content, if not happy yet. I don't expect either of you to be as such immediately, but I'm sure that she herself must have moved on. And deep down, I'm even _more_ sure that all is forgiven."

The words sounded so completely convincing to Cogsworth's ears that even he believed them. Of course, he was not entirely certain that all he said was precisely true, but he hoped that he was mostly right.

Lumière, however, was not pacified. "I appreciate your…reassurance, but it hardly helps to ease my concern." He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. "If anything…I just wish I knew where she was…if she really is as well as we want to believe. I want to see her again, talk to her one last time! Tell her all that I feel for her…"

"If only you could, but I doubt that it's likely," Cogsworth replied. "Who knows where she could possibly be? I mean, besides that pitiful excuse for a father, who else would she have to turn to?"

Lumière sighed. Cogsworth did have a point. Even if Adrien was not rotting away in prison, Babette would never turn to him for help, rightfully so. As for Lucien, she had no idea where he lived, and even if she somehow _had_ found him, Lumière would have gotten some kind of contact about it from his friend by now. Who else was there? Her mother had died when she was young, he knew that; the poor woman had passed on some time before Babette was sent to… Lumière suddenly sat bolt upright, as if a bolt of lightning had hit him.

"Lumière? What is it?" Cogsworth asked, watching Lumière's formerly tired eyes grow wide in realization.

"_Le Fleur Noir_," he whispered.

"What?"

"_Le Fleur Noir_!" Lumière cried. "_Mon Dieu_, that is it!!"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Lumière had to grin at Cogsworth's confused frown. He must have looked like a complete lunatic in front of the Englishman, but he did not care! At last, the puzzle was piecing together in his mind! Racing for the door, Lumière ran towards the West Wing, Cogsworth in tow calling out to him to wait.

"Master!" Lumière called when they reached the hallway. "Master, please! It is important!"

Vincent and Belle met them at the baby's nursery door, gesturing for silence when they closed it behind them.

"All right, Lumière, all right, keep it down!" Vincent ordered in a hush. "We've just put Alexandre to bed!"

"I don't know what came over him, your highness," Cogsworth explained urgently. "One minute I was trying to console him and the next…well, as you can see, it must have worked!"

Lumière wasted no more time, stepping forward. "Master, please, I beg permission to go to Paris," he asked, the excitement not leaving his tone.

"Paris? Whatever for?"

Lumière beamed, truly happy for the first time in two months. "Babette is there, I just know it! I swear I can feel it in my heart! I do not know why I did not think of it before, but I do now! Please, by all you hold dear, let me have this one last chance to find her!"

Belle looked at her husband. "For once there's nothing going on socially. I'm sure it'll be fine to let him go."

Vincent smiled at her, reassuring that he had every intention to do so. He turned to Lumière. "I made you a promise, my friend, that I'd do whatever it takes to help you find her. If this will do it…then go to her."

"And…if I may ask permission to accompany him?" Cogsworth asked. Neither the prince nor the princess had seen Lumière earlier. As much as Cogsworth hated leaving the castle without his necessary guidance, his friend's sanity was on the line. For once in his life, Cogsworth felt that he was needed more as a friend than as head of the household. To cover his emotional side, he added firmly, "After all, Babette certainly will need a good talking-to! Abandoning the castle like she did, it's positively intolerable!"

Vincent, Belle, and even Lumière shared a subtle smile, knowing that even Cogsworth had a heart inside of him somewhere. The royals glanced at Lumière, silently questioning, and Lumière nodded in agreement. He could use all the support he could get.

"Very well, I shall order the carriage be prepared for you both at once," Vincent said. With a knowing smile, he asked, "I'm sure, Lumière, that you will want to leave tonight?"

"If possible, _maître_," Lumière replied.

"Absolutely," the prince agreed, gesturing the two men to follow him to the stables.

Lumière was about to follow his master and Cogsworth when he felt Belle's comforting hand on his arm.

"I know you will find her," she said, confidence in her words. With a smile, she added, "Bring her home."

Lumière smiled, grateful for her continued friendship. With a small bow, he said, "I have every intention of obeying, _madame. Merci_."

On that note, he left with renewed hope to do just that. Babette would be there, ready and waiting for him; she just had to be!


	16. Chapter 15

_Chapter Fifteen_

After packing a few essentials for the trip, Lumière and Cogsworth set out for Paris that very night. It felt like a lifetime passed before they saw any sight of the city borders. While Lumière grew more impatient by the minute once they arrived, Cogsworth merely shook his head at his comrade, musing at how Lumière was no better than a child in a toyshop. He was practically bouncing with anticipation.

The carriage slowed, and the driver called down to them, "Where to from here?"

Lumière leaned out the window a bit. "_La Fleur Noir, la Rue de Grenoble_," he answered, earning a gasp or a stare from passersby who heard him.

Cogsworth glanced at them, puzzled, before he asked, "What, pray tell, is this place that we are going?"

Lumière purposely ignored him, pulling himself back inside. He had thankfully managed to avoid the answer to that question for the entire trip, knowing full well how Cogsworth would react. As they turned onto the road and drove on, however, the question practically answered itself. A few ladies, clad in hardly anything, winked and waved as they passed, leaving poor Cogsworth blushing and hiding his face.

"Why am I getting a _very_ bad feeling about this?" he asked.

Once again, Lumière was blessed to not have to answer him. The carriage came to an immediate halt as he and Lumière arrived at _Le Fleur Noir_. But while Lumière jumped from the carriage, instructing the driver to wait for them, Cogsworth stayed put.

"What on earth are we doing here?" he inquired.

Lumière merely called casually over his shoulder, "Bringing Babette home."

Cogsworth looked at him wide-eyed before staring at the building in abject disgust. "No. There is no way, no way at all, that I am taking one step inside this immoral, decadent house of…!"

"Do not say it!" Lumière interrupted, turning on him so angrily that Cogsworth was momentarily rendered speechless.

Although he kept his firm tone, Lumière quieted as he continued. "Put aside your judgments and scoffing for one night. I did not ask you to come with me; you chose to follow. If you refuse to go inside, then wait here with the carriage. I will not let you ruin any chance I may have to bring her home."

Cogsworth strived to retain an ounce of dignity and not appear defeated as he reluctantly exited the safety of the carriage. Unfortunately, they were on neutral territory now, not at home where he could have the grounds of authority and rank to rightfully argue. Gesturing to the door in frustration, Cogsworth muttered something under his breath that Lumière could not understand. Lumière simply knocked loudly, not caring about what the older man had to say. There were more important things to worry about than Cogsworth's rambling.

But while they waited, however, Lumière glanced at his friend, and could not help feeling a tad guilty at Cogsworth's intense discomfort. Perhaps Lumière had snapped too insensitively.

"Do not worry, _mon ami_," he said with a smile, an attempt to make peace. "It is early in the evening. Nothing inappropriate happens until much later."

"But knowing Babette, whose stubbornness is matched only by your own, this could take until then," Cogsworth replied, already turning bright red.

"And if it does, live a little!" Lumière answered. "Or else sit on the side and avert your eyes."

"Why? Is that the sign that one wants to be left alone?" Cogsworth asked hopefully.

Lumière smirked. "Actually it makes the ladies try harder to capture one's attention…although knowing you, they will not waste their time."

Cogsworth frowned as Lumière knocked on the door once again. When they still did not receive a reply, Lumière walked to a nearby window. The room was not well lit, but he could tell there was someone moving around inside. Tapping on the glass, he nodded respectfully as a young lady looked up at him, and then he pointed to the door. By the time he rejoined Cogsworth, the girl had met them there.

"_Messieurs,_ we don't open for another few hours; anything you need can wait until then," she said haughtily, typical jaded Fleurette that she was.

Lumière smiled politely. "Forgive the intrusion, _mademoiselle_, but our business here is very important."

The girl was unconvinced. "I'm not allowed to let anyone in," she stated firmly, beginning to close the door. "Good day."

Cogsworth immediately put his foot in front of it. Upon seeing the girl's face, angered and threatened, Lumière scowled at him discreetly. It was best not to startle or challenge these girls.

"Please, _mademoiselle_, this will not take long," Cogsworth insisted, not catching on.

"Colette, what's going on out there?" a voice called from inside.

Lumière offered Cogsworth a wide, jaw clenched smile. "Nice going, genius."

Before Cogsworth could reply, a tall, strong looking blonde appeared beside the girl. Cogsworth took an immediate step back, hiding behind his taller friend, while Lumière grinned charmingly.

"Aubrey, _bonsoir_," he said, prepare to smooth talk their way out of trouble. "It has been quite a long time."

Aubrey turned to Colette. "Go inside, _petite_; I will take care of these two." After the girl had obeyed, Aubrey closed the door behind her.

"It has been quite a long time, _chérie_," Lumière continued.

"Not long enough," Aubrey snarled, unimpressed. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

Lumière's smile faded, and seriousness crept into his tone. "I think you know perfectly well," he said. "You have someone here that I need to see."

"No one's here that concerns you," Aubrey countered callously.

Lumière opened his mouth to speak, when something above them caught his eye. A curtain had parted in one of the upper room windows, allowing a bit of light to illuminate the face of the person who opened it. _Babette_, he realized, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of her. As he turned to Aubrey victoriously, her expression revealed that must have seen Babette as well, and would have to unwillingly admit defeat.

"You were saying?" he asked.

Aubrey gritted her teeth before she growled, "You're not out of the woods yet. The decision to see her isn't up to me. Just…come inside!"

Lumière willingly followed, only stopping once to drag Cogsworth along beside him.

In the meantime, up in her room, Babette threw the curtain shut. She leaned against the wall, sliding down it heavily as she covered her face. She was perfectly content at last about where life had brought her, and here he was, about to ruin everything! Why did he insist on toying with her delicate emotions, even after all this time?

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Babette looked up at Odette, accepting her friend's help in rising from the floor and sitting in a chair at the vanity. As a sob escaped her, Babette clung to Odette for strength. One moment, just one moment of seeing him, and everything Babette had planned began to fall apart before her eyes.

"What do you want me to tell him?" Odette asked. "If you don't want to see him, you don't have to."

Babette grasped Odette's hand, gazing at her pleadingly. "Do not let him up here," she begged desperately. "He does not know about any of this, and I do not want him to. I do not need his pity or lies."

Odette hugged her gently. "Then he won't," she said, kissing her forehead comfortingly. "I'll take care of it; just stay here."

ooo

Once inside the main room, Aubrey did not even look at them when she curtly said, "Wait here."

With that, she made her way towards a dark hallway. Cogsworth waited until she was gone before he spoke.

"Of all the impertinent people I have ever met!" he cried indignantly. "Does she have any idea who we are? Then again, surely she doesn't care! I do not expect to find anyone who knows the slightest thing about respect in one of _these_ places!" When he realized that Lumière was not paying him any attention, Cogsworth stopped to watch him curiously. "What in the world are you doing?" he asked.

Lumière took one sweeping glance around the room. _Dieu_, had it really been so long since he was last here? Solemn as the event was that had brought him here, earlier scenes still played out vividly in his mind as he walked around the empty space. Walking to a far table, he grinned roguishly, running his hand over the back of a chair before he sat down and leaned back comfortably.

"This is where I first saw her," he explained, his voice distant and reminiscent.

"So you _did_ know her before she came to the castle!" Cogsworth said, pointing his finger in accusation as he flopped into the seat next to him. "I knew it! I always knew it! The look on your face the day she arrived clearly gave you away!"

Lumière rolled his eyes, but laughed. "Do not celebrate your triumph just yet!" he said. "I only saw her once before, and I was sitting right here. She was serving wine that night. Circumstances could not let anything go further than that…but it all started here. The rest is history."

Cogsworth nodded, relieved to find distraction in Lumière's story, but his discomfort was still very evident. "How long can they possibly make us wait?" he asked impatiently. "It will be time to open the doors soon!"

"Really, it is not as bad as you think," Lumière said reassuringly. "One day, _mon ami_, we shall have to stay for the night's festivities so you may see that."

"Oh indeed, absolutely!" Cogsworth replied, not hiding any of his sarcasm. "But do me a grand favor and be sure that I have been buried long before we do."

Lumière laughed, about to respond, when they heard the sound of a door closing loudly from the hallway. The two men remained silent, standing quickly when another woman entered the room. Lumière admittedly looked confused as she came towards them.

"Odette?" he asked. "I was expecting…"

"D'Araignée's been dead for quite a few years now," Odette interrupted, disliking their presence here as much as Aubrey had. "Whatever business someone has with the girls, I'm now the one who must know about it."

Lumière raised an eyebrow. Aubrey, he could expect this from, but Odette was normally the understanding one, from what he could remember Babette telling him on certain occasions.

"_Très bien_," he said cautiously. "We have simply come to bring her home. I need to speak to her."

"I can't let you do that."

"Why not?"

"She doesn't want to see you."

"It will not take long."

"Not happening."

Lumière sighed, frustrated. "Fine, then I will wait until she changes her mind," he persisted. "But I will not leave without her."

Odette scowled at him, unwavering. "Monsieur Lumière, this isn't your glorious castle. In this place, a girl's choices regarding men are her own, and Babette has chosen not to see you."

Lumière stared the woman deep in the eyes. "I never wanted to hurt her; she means the world to me. How can I atone for my mistakes if I can not talk to her? Give me one chance; convince her to see me, even if she does not speak to me at all."

He could see the slightest bit of sympathy in Odette's eyes as she stood silent.

"Please," he entreated. "Please, do what you must to convince her to see me. She will listen to you."

"I can't do that," Odette said, calm and gentle, but still with authority. "Right or wrong, she has made her decision, and I won't disrespect it."

"Then let me talk to her," Cogsworth said suddenly.

Odette and Lumière turned to him in surprise. He had remained silent until now.

"What?" Lumière asked, puzzled, on behalf of both Odette and himself.

Cogsworth stood as tall as he could. "_Mademoiselle_ made it perfectly clear that Babette did not wish to speak to _you_," he said, trailing off with a knowing look in his eye.

Lumière smiled gratefully in comprehension of the innocent scheme before he faced Odette again.

"He has a point," he said, confident in a victory. "Babette did not say anything about seeing no one at all, therefore you are not disrespecting her request should you let my friend see her."

For a moment, she said nothing, but her expression was rather thoughtful, as though she was weighing the outcome of the suggestion.

Turning to Cogsworth, she said, "I'm going to assume that you know how temperamental Babette can be. You do realize that once you step foot in that room that you are at her mercy, _oui_?"

Cogsworth nodded, not altogether comfortable with the thought but nonetheless not going to back down.

"_Très bien_," Odette said. "I will ask if she wants to see _you_, but I can't promise anything. It is her decision, _comprends_?"

Cogsworth nodded again. "Every word."

Odette headed for the stairs then, gesturing him to follow. As he obeyed, Cogsworth looked to Lumière, mouthing the words "You owe me dearly for this!" Lumière only continued to smile with a heartfelt "Merci." Sitting down again, all he could do now was wait.

Once they had reached the landing, Odette ordered Cogsworth to wait in the hall while she entered a room, closing the door behind her. Cogsworth could not resist leaning in a bit closer, attempting to catch any sounds from the inside, but all he could hear was muffled, unintelligible murmuring.

When the door opened again, Odette stepped out of the room, allowing him to pass. "In there, _monsieur._"

As he walked forward, Cogsworth squinted to see in the dimly lit room as Odette closed the door behind him. Inside, he found Babette sitting at a tiny vanity. He cleared his throat to get her attention. When she looked at him, he had to remind himself who she was, for she was hardly the woman that he remembered. Her normally outlandish personality had vanished from her appearance. Her hair was tied back, but many strands had come loose, making it appear far from properly kept. The playful sparkle was completely absent from her eyes.

"Lumière never fails to find a way around what he is told," she said softly. "And now you decide to help him? The world has officially gone mad."

"Well, someone has to talk some sense into you," Cogsworth replied. "And I suppose it has to be me, considering that you won't talk to the man who is normally your be-all and end-all." Authority now present in his tone, he continued, "I will make this simple for you. We have come to take you home."

Babette snorted an amused laugh. "I thought by now that everyone would have understood that I _am_ home. Obviously I was wrong." She turned back to the small mirror on the vanity. "You know I can not write very well, but if you are looking for my resignation then this is it. I am not going back."

"That doesn't excuse you from your…personal responsibilities," Cogsworth countered.

He did not even have to see her face to know that she was on the verge of anger.

"I do not know what you are talking about," she growled. "I have given you what you wanted to hear, and that is the end of it."

Cogsworth swallowed nervously. He pulled a chair closer to sit down and took a deep breath, ready to give this his best.

"Babette, do you have any idea what you've done?" he asked slowly. "We awoke that morning to find that you were gone, and Lumière was especially distraught. As foolish and irresponsible as he can be, Lumière cares for you deeply. Anyone can see that.

"What I mean to say is…after what we've all been through, we have all practically become a family. When you left, and Lumière realized you were not coming back…it destroyed him. He and I, we don't always see eye-to-eye, I know, but it pains me to see him so upset. Did you truly think that he would be heartless enough to not care? You owed him at least a farewell, an explanation, something!"

At first, Babette said nothing. Instead, she closed her eyes tightly, determined to prevent her tears from overflowing onto her cheeks. But it was a failed effort. Unable to hold back, she broke into fitful sobs. Cogsworth was at a loss with her actions, but he tentatively reached for her hand, patting it comfortingly.

"I do not owe him anything," she gasped. "Not after what he has done to me."

Cautiously, Cogsworth said, "I know, the promise, he mentioned that."

"Not…just that."

"Then what?"

Babette bit her lip as she looked at him, wiping her eyes. Without another word, she slowly took off her robe, and through the dress underneath, Cogsworth could see the clear answer to his question. A small bulge had formed where her tiny middle used to be smooth and flat.

He opened his mouth to speak a few times, but wide-eyed and shocked, all he could manage was, "Dear Lord in Heaven."

"No use in praying now," Babette muttered sarcastically. "There is nothing left for me to do but stay here."

"Of all the things to happen, I never would have guessed this."

"Well, now you know."

Cogsworth stood from his chair to pace the room. Why? Why did _he_ have to be the one to talk to her?

"You have to tell him, of course," he insisted.

Babette shook her head adamantly. "There is no reason for him to know."

Cogsworth gaped at her, appalled. "No reason for him to know?" he asked, borderline with insanity. "What do you _mean_ 'no reason for him to know'? How can you suggest such a thing? This is his _child!_"

"A child that I know he does not want!" Babette hissed loudly, tears coming full-force again. "Neither of us needs a marriage of convenience! I do not want him to hate me because I saddled him with a baby!"

"But telling him is the proper thing to do! The _right_ thing to do!" Cogsworth argued. "He has been looking everywhere for you! Does that sound like a man who hates you, who would not want his own child?"

"I would never expect _you_ to understand; no one can possibly understand," Babette said, more to herself than to him. She took a deep, shaky breath. "I think you have all the information you wanted," she said, her voice trembling. "This conversation is over."

For the first time since the first day he had met her, Cogsworth felt true sympathy for this woman. She had always been intolerably jaded and rebellious, but there was no mistaking the worry and fear in her eyes now. There was nothing more for him to do here. She would not change her mind.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way," he said, trying to keep his voice steady and authoritative.

"So am I," she replied.

Lowering his head, Cogsworth reached for the doorknob, but stopped. "Are you certain that you don't want him to know?"

Babette swallowed back a new wave of emotion. "Whatever you tell him, just take him home and away from here."

"As you wish," Cogsworth replied solemnly.

"Cogsworth?"

He turned to face her.

Babette looked at him sincerely. "I…really am sorry," she said softly. "I want you to know that. I-I will send word when the baby is born, I promise. You were right; everyone at the castle is still my family."

With a genuine smile, Cogsworth nodded. "Very well."

Babette returned his smile halfheartedly. He truly was a good man deep down; she knew that. Cogsworth really would keep her secret…

…_though knowing Lumière, there is more of a chance of hell freezing over_, she realized. Waiting until Cogsworth shut the door, Babette jumped to the door, bolting it locked prepared for what she knew was to come.


	17. Chapter 16

_Chapter Sixteen_

With his every step, Cogsworth felt a knot in his stomach grow into the size of a boulder. He had jumped into the middle of this for the sake of doing the right thing, assisting a friend in a time of need. But now, he was in over his head with a much bigger problem than he had ever expected to have to fix.

Seeing light coming from a room at the bottom of the stairs, he followed it, finding Odette and an anxious Lumière waiting for him.

"Well?" Lumière asked. "Where is Babette? Why is she not with you?"

Cogsworth did not look at either of them until he found a chair and sat down, and then the only one he glanced at was Odette. She had known all along about the baby; she had to have known. He couldn't keep a touch of resentment from his glare. She wasn't the one who had to break the news to Lumière after all.

"Cogsworth?" Lumière insisted, having taken a seat across from him. "What happened?"

One look from the man in question, and Odette silently agreed to give them some privacy. Maybe now Lumière would hear what he wanted to know and leave her friend in peace, she hoped.

"I…I spoke to her," Cogsworth began slowly, stalling.

"And?" Lumière replied, growing more restless by the second. "Did she say anything?"

"Oh, she said something, all right," Cogsworth muttered, more to himself than his friend. Quickly, he stood up to pace. "She…what she said was… Lumière, what was that promise you made to her exactly?"

Lumière sighed, frustrated. "Cogsworth, can you _ever_ just get to the point?"

"For heaven's sake, man, tell me what it was!"

Lumière looked at him, taken aback a bit by the outburst. "To marry her," he replied, growing more uncomfortable with the interrogation by the minute. "I proposed to her the night we were transformed, and then…you fill in the rest."

"Why haven't you followed through with it?"

"I just needed a little longer, to plan and…to feel at ease with the idea of a brand new change in our lives. Although the latter, I have never exactly discussed with her."

"Well, that 'little longer' is now," Cogsworth concluded. He took a deep breath, adding, "Because you should be her husband before she brings your child into this world."

Lumière opened his mouth to speak, but stopped immediately. The face that was always ready with a smile of hope and reassurance was now stunned and pale enough to rival a ghost.

"W-what?"

Cogsworth held his friend's gaze as he seated himself again. "Lumière…Babette is with child. You are going to be a father."

Lumière could not stop himself from shaking a bit from the intensity of news. "A baby…she…how could she…"

"The last I heard, it takes two people to have a baby, thus the blame isn't _entirely_ hers," Cogsworth said dryly.

"I _know_ that!" Lumière cried, jumping from his seat to take his turn at pacing. "How could she not_ tell _me? If only I had known…_mon Dieu_, I swear I would have…!"

"She is convinced that you wouldn't want it," Cogsworth explained.

Lumière stared at him, appalled. "She said that? She really believes that?"

"'A child that I know he does not want; neither of us need a marriage of convenience. I do not want him to hate me because I saddled him with a baby,'" Cogsworth quoted quickly. "Those were her exact words."

Lumière closed his eyes tightly before reaching for the door.

"Where are you going?" Cogsworth asked, though the answer was quite clear. "Lumière, wait!"

Lumière did not answer, but only climbed up the stairs where he found Odette all but guarding a door.

"She is in there, I know it," he growled. "Now let me in."

Stopping Odette's furious reply in its tracks, Cogsworth caught up to them, breathless but insistent. "Lumière, don't be foolish! I know it's very difficult, but try to be rational, for the child's sake at least!"

Lumière ignored him. "There is no need to protect her," he said, his voice rising.

Odette glowered at him. "If that were true, she wouldn't be here."

"Just _let_ me _in_."

"Go ahead, let him! He never did care about anyone but himself!" cried a voice from the other side of the door.

Pushing his way passed Odette, Lumière gave the door a loud, powerful smack. "That is a lie, and you know it!" he cried. "Open this door now, or so help me, I will break it down!" No answer. "Babette, you know I mean it! Open the door!"

Still, he received no answer. True to his word, he took a few steps back before running at the door. Only then did Babette oblige his request, and before he could stop, Lumière's shoulder painfully met a wall instead. Odette began to protest, but it was too late. Babette shut the door behind her, the lock audibly being turned.

Attempting reassurance, Cogsworth offered, "You have my word, _mademoiselle_, that he won't do her harm," he said, steadfast and sure. "He may be furious, but he isn't a monster. It will be all right."

"How are you so sure of that?" Odette asked, heatedly.

"Well…truthfully, regarding the situation, I'm not," Cogsworth replied. "I don't know how this will all turn out, but I swear to you, she will probably do him more harm than he could ever do to her. Let them be. He needs this time to take responsibility, and she needs to see that."

ooo

Lumière knew he should be happy to see this woman after having thought he had lost her forever. But as much as he tried to draw out any happiness at the sight of her, he felt too insulted, hurt and betrayed. The look of scorn in her eyes at the sight of him only increased his own anger.

"How could you do this to me?" Lumière began, his voice trembling.

"Funny, I have been wanting to ask you that same question for the past – what has it been? Two months now, almost three?" Babette sneered. "Actually, wait, I have a better one: how could you _not_ have kept our engagement and avoided this?"

"I would have if I had known the truth!" he shouted, unable to contain himself. "_Especially_ if I had known the truth! If you had told me that you were expecting…!"

"Why should I have had to? _Why_?" she counterattacked. "_Dieu_, Lumière, the only reason you ever proposed in the first place was because of a possible child!"

"That is not true!"

"It certainly is! Never, not once, did the idea ever come up unless I told you that there was a chance I was pregnant! I asked you many times if you were going to marry me, but of course, if there was no word of a baby, it was not important!"

"May I remind you of your own feelings regarding marriage before I proposed?" Lumière asked. "We _both_ agreed that we were perfectly content with how things were. You, as well as I, were happy with what we had."

"Though I specifically told you later that I wanted to be married! But you continued to push any plans aside! Why was that?"

"You know very well why! With all the work that we had – "

"The master would not have us executed for a mere hour or two to marry each other!" she yelled irately. "He probably would have _helped_ us!" She swallowed back rage, turning it into taunting instead. "Go on, Lumière. Just admit that I will never be enough."

Angrily, Lumière gripped her shoulders. "Stop right there!" he shouted. "Do not talk like that!"

Shoving his arms off of her, Babette grimaced at him in accusation. "After I left, what did you do until you realized I was here? Or better yet, _who_ did you do, hmm? Who did you take to bed and screw in my place?" When she received no answer, she scoffed, "Just as I thought."

He did not reply at first, knowing that this was not the time to bring up Avril. But he would be damned if he let her believe that anything went farther than a kiss with any other woman.

"There you go again," he snarled. "You never trust me, even though you know that I would _never_ be unfaithful to you like that. I have upset you in the past, I know, but I admitted I was wrong every time. Truth be told, you are not an angel either. You could make me jealous in a heartbeat if you so much as look at another man. But I trust you, enough to know that you have not stepped foot near another man's bed. Why will you not feel the same towards me?"

He went on, "Babette, whenever you are mad at me, you run. Whether it is to another room at home or extremes like taverns, you just run, and I leave you be for a while to let you calm down. But I waited _two months_ this time, went out to look for you practically every day! You never came back. Why not? You do not trust me. I would have been thrilled and more than willing to finally give you what you want, what we both have wanted for years."

Babette turned away from him. "That is just the thing; it is not what I want anymore," she responded quietly.

"Then what _do_ you want?"

When she faced him again, Lumière could see the tears welling up in her eyes, hear her voice shaking as she tried to stay strong.

"If you are going to marry me," she said, "do it because you want to, not because you have to. If you truly wanted this as much as I did, you would have made arrangements a long time ago and made it happen."

Her eyes grew dark and livid, more alarmingly so than Lumière had ever seen.

"My parents never married," she continued. "My mother dreamed of the day that my father would propose, but he fed her reason after so-called reason why things should just stay as they were. When I was old enough to understand why my mother cried herself to sleep every night, I hated him for it and wished that I had never seen or known him in the first place."

She lowered her head. Her mind cried that she was doing the right thing, but her heart was painfully shattering. This man was not her father, she knew that, but she would not risk the chance of Lumière becoming him.

Breaking down into obvious sobs of grief, she choked, "What do I want? I want a better life for my baby than I had. I want to be free from the anxiety of waiting for you to realize how you truly feel about me. And right now…I want you to go home. Go home, Lumière, and never come back."

His anger vanished immediately, Lumière reached for her. He had come too far to lose her now! "No, you do not mean that," he begged desperately.

Babette struggled to get away, shoving, hitting, anything she could to keep him at bay.

"Leave me alone," she bawled. "Please, just leave me alone! I do not want you anymore!"

"Enough foolishness!" he shouted, holding her tightly at last, although she only fought against him. His mind racing frantically, he said anything he could think of to change her mind. "_Ma chérie, ma plumette_…"

"Stop it!"

"You are angry and frightened; you do not know what you are saying!"

"Get out!"

"Babette, please, I love you, I _swear_ I do!"

"_I said get out_!" she screeched, finally breaking away from his grasp and sending her palm squarely across his face with a ruthless 'smack.'

Unable to remain standing, Babette fell to her knees, covering her face as tears poured down her cheeks. A moment later, she heard the door slam, and looked up to find Lumière gone. Heartbroken, she laid herself down, allowing her sobs to continue.

Outside in the hall, Lumière stood against the door, still as a statue. He could not feel the throbbing pain in his cheek; the agony in his heart greatly outweighed anything else. She had just professed hatred for him, not even wanting him to be there for their child! A child that they had created out of…

No, not true love. If that were the case, he would still be in there, both of them making up for everything they had said.

Reaching up to touch his cheek, trying to determine the damage, he found that it was wet. _Dieu_, he had not cried this much in over a year. For the first time, he wished that Belle had not come back to them; the pain he would have felt becoming a candelabra would be nothing compared to this.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize half an hour had passed. Determined to see her one last time, Lumière opened the door, but was met with silence. Peeking inside, he saw her still on the floor, and worriedly raced to her side. Her face was red and tear-stained, her arms clutched tightly around her as though she was freezing. Hastily checking to make sure she was all right – and relieved to see that she was only sleeping – he gathered her in his arms with a little effort and placed her gently on the tiny bed.

He was tempted to crawl in next to her, wanting to be as near to her as possible, but his mind got the best of him. Therefore, he was content to pull a chair closely next to the bed. Sniffing back any remaining emotion, wiping his eyes free of tears, he managed to tug one hand away from her shoulder and hold it gently. No doubt she would be enraged to find him there when she woke up, but he would be damned if he did not get a chance to tell her a proper good-bye.

ooo

Cogsworth shifted a bit in his seat as he sat alone in the backroom, checking his watch for the hundredth time that night. Odette had offered a table outside while he waited for Lumière, but Cogsworth refused. Sitting alone in her office and listening to what Lumière had called the "festivities" going on in the main room made him uneasy.

The door slamming behind him moments later did not help his anxiety either. Leaning against it was Odette, the perfect image of overworked frustration, enough so to rival Cogsworth himself on a bad day.

"That's it!" she cried, walking past Cogsworth towards her desk as though he was not even there. "I will be the oldest dancer alive, but I'll go back to it in seconds if it means I can give up all of this!"

Cogsworth debated whether or not he should say anything. On one hand, it was proper and polite to ask what was wrong, but on the other, one should not inquire about business that didn't pertain to oneself. In the end, silence took a toll on his already unsettled nerves, making him feel awkward.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Does it _look_ like everything is all right?" Odette shouted, bolting upward from her chair. "Of course not! Nothing is all right; nothing ever is! But of course, as if I don't have enough to worry about running this God-damn place, now you two come barging in…"

At last noticing the bewildered, discomforted look on Cogsworth's face, Odette sighed, sat down again and hid her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm not usually like this. I'm normally the peacemaker here, above everything else," she laughed ruefully. "This place just isn't as easy to run as it looks, and it catches up with me sometimes. But yelling at a total stranger won't help make it easier."

Coming to his senses once she calmed down, Cogsworth shook his head, sympathizing. "Believe me, _mademoiselle_, I understand."

"And how's that?"

"Everyone thinks it is so easy to be the one in charge, as if it means that all you do is give the orders instead of doing actual work yourself."

Odette rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it! Our former matron, _she_ was that accusation brought to life. I've been doing bookkeeping and such since I arrived. Before I was taught to dance, her work was all I did."

"You? You were a…a uh…"

"A Fleurette," Odette confirmed with a smile.

"A Fleurette, yes, _and_ a bookkeeper as well?" Cogsworth asked, taken aback. He didn't think any of these girls knew the first thing about books and paperwork.

Odette laughed gently, as though reading his mind. "Shocking, I know," she said.

A look of flustered panic took over as Cogsworth realized that he could have insulted her. "Oh no, I didn't mean…!"

"Relax, no offense taken," she said, reassuring him.

"Thank heavens," he replied. "I really didn't mean to be rude, but it is a bit surprising. Babette can neither read nor write, therefore I didn't expect…what I mean is…" He sighed. "Well, hopefully you understand enough of my rambling to spare me the misery of looking like a bigger fool."

Odette grinned. "Really, it's absolutely all right."

Cogsworth nodded, desperately wanting to change the subject. "But sincerely, as head as my master's household, I do know how you feel," he said. "When one has so much responsibility, it does get overwhelming."

"Head of the _entire_ household?" Odette asked. "And just how big is that castle again?"

"This establishment could fit snugly into the ballroom or even the foyer, I'm sure."

Odette's jaw dropped as though it weighed a ton. "_Touché, monsieur, _you win! I pity you."

"It certainly is hard work, but all around, very rewarding in the end, I assure you."

"I believe it, but still! All that work…does the prince do nothing?"

"Of course he does! The master has royal affairs of state to contend with, but if I weren't there, he wouldn't survive the day!" Cogsworth puffed his chest a bit with pride "He has no knowledge at all of the myriad details that go into keeping the castle running smoothly from day to day. All of that responsibility is entrusted to me, and may I say, I have never failed him."

Odette snorted, seeing this act before amongst men attempting to sound more important than they truly were. But this one…he seemed genuine, and was very understanding towards her when he didn't have to be. Allowing him an overly proud moment wouldn't hurt.

The clock striking a new hour interrupted their conversation.

"Well, I guess they'll be a bit longer," Odette said. "Are you sure you won't join us outside in the main room?"

"No, thank you," Cogsworth replied quickly. "I'll be fine here, thank you very much."

"Not a problem," Odette answered kindly. "I'll be right back, just have to check on things, make sure there aren't any problems." Pausing for a moment once she gripped the doorknob, she asked, "Do you like cognac, _monsieur…_?"

"Cogsworth, _mademoiselle_, and yes, I do."

Odette smiled. "_Très bien, _Monsieur Cogsworth," she said with a nod. "I'll bring some for us when I come back."

Cogsworth couldn't help but smile back, feeling an odd, unfamiliar sensation take hold of him as she closed the door. What it was, he had no idea. A shiver? Goose bumps perhaps? Whatever it was…he had to admit, it felt rather nice, and truth be told, he found himself anticipating her return.

ooo

Babette would never remember how long she had slept, just that it was dark when she awoke. She lay perfectly still, her brow furrowed in confusion upon feeling the comfort of her bed beneath her. The last thing she remembered was that she had collapsed to the floor, not here. More puzzling, and even frightening at that, she felt a pressure on her hand, as though it was being held. What exactly had happened while she was sleeping?

Able to pull her hand away, she reached over to her side table, lit a candle and gasped quietly. There was Lumière, sitting in a chair and hunched over the edge of her bed fast asleep. She knew full well that he had left earlier, the door slamming and all. When did he come back? _Why _did he come back?

Seeing him stir gently, she rested herself down again, closing her eyes tightly. Surely he expected her to wake up when he did; if she was asleep, or he thought she was, maybe he would at last just leave her alone.

Waiting to hear the sound of footsteps leaving the room, Babette flinched slightly when she felt his hand on her cheek.

"You may not be able to hear me, but all I wanted to do…was say good-bye," Lumière said, just barely above a whisper. "I love you, you know I do. You want me to leave, and if that will give you any peace, then I will do it. But there was no way that I would let what just happened be our last memory."

It took all her strength not to shed a tear and give herself away, but her efforts failed. Letting out a sob, she opened her eyes and looked at him. When she tried to sit up, he would not let her.

"_Non_, you need to rest," he said.

Her sobs came harder then, so much that she shuddered intensely as she cried.

"Why could you not leave when I told you to?" she asked. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"I am going to give you what you want," Lumière said, his own voice shaking with emotion. "But as I said, what just happened is not going to be the end of it. I will not stand for it."

Tenderly, he took her hands.

"I want you to know that I did have every intention to marry you; I never forgot. Ever. All I needed was more time, both for the actual arrangements…and for personal reasons."

"Lumière, don't…"

"_Non_, please, I need you to understand. I always thought that marriage was more of an ending than anything else. You get married, settled down, and then what? What is left besides waking up to the same person every day and feeling guilty for even looking at another pretty face? I know, foolish thinking, but I was young and stupid like most.

"Then I met you, and that alone was a brand new change in itself. I had never met any woman who was as wonderful, intoxicating, or challenging as you. Even if I looked at another girl or complimented her, I found myself comparing her to _you_. You are the only woman I have ever wanted; every day, every hour we shared was perfection.

"We were both content with that, so it seemed, and I thought why should things ever change? I did not need vows or a piece of paper to show the world that we belonged together. But it was getting harder to ignore any thoughts of marriage as time went on, I know. With our wandering eyes, the baby scares we have had over the years, and then knowing that you wanted to finally commit to marriage…I was torn. I wanted it too, unquestionably; that is why I proposed. But the fears were coming back.

"The spell spared me, but once it was broken, you began bringing up the proposal again. All work issues aside, I started…getting nervous. What if the passion cooled? What if overall it just did not work out, even after all these years? If we stayed as we are, we could part ways without any trouble, but if we were married, we would be stuck. If I was going to fully commit to you, it would be forever, no matter what.

"I got what I deserved for turning you away. I lost you for two months…and that scared me more than what I ever felt then. Every day, I went out to look for you; every night, I prayed you would be there when I woke up. I never understood what it was to feel empty until I lost you. The only thing worse was the knowing that I could have avoided all this if I had just kept my promise. I should have done it years ago."

Lumière sighed, frustrated. "_Ma chérie_, there is nothing else I can say to convey how I feel. You make my life worth living; I was a fool to be afraid all along. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, wake up every day and see you by my side. I want to build a life with you, grow old with you! To be married to you would be the greatest gift in life; unfortunately, it took losing you to make me realize that."

At that moment, he could no longer contain his heartbreak, realizing that he was failing, and one tear led the way for many others down his cheek.

"Listen, you know I would go to the ends of the earth and back for you. If you want me out of your life, as painful as it is, I will go. But I could not leave you the way I did. Just know…that I am sorry. I love you, and I never meant to hurt you."

Babette stared at him intensely through her tears. "You mean that…all of it?"

"Every word."

She released his hand, throwing her arms around his neck. Taken aback, Lumière tentatively brought his arms up to hold her, and when she did not scold him for taking the liberty, he tightened his hold, elated to finally have her back in his embrace.

Babette cried into his shoulder. "You could have left me…and you did not. Do not do it now," she whispered.

Lumière pulled back only enough to look into her eyes. "What?"

"Do not leave me, Lumière, please," she bawled. "I am sorry that I did not trust you, and I will never run away again. Just please, stay with me! Do not go!"

He smiled gently, reveling in her words. Cupping her face adoringly in his hands, he promised, "Never, not if you do not want me to."

Babette shook her head adamantly. "No, stay and swear to me again that you meant every word you just said."

Lumière kissed away the tears from her eyes, holding her close in his embrace. "I swear…_ma plumette_, _ma chérie_, I swear with every ounce of my being. I love you, I want you for my wife, and I pray you forgive my foolishness."

"Only if you forgive mine," she said, slowly ceasing her crying. "I was so stupid for running away, not telling you."

"Stop talking like that."

"But I was! I should have trusted you!"

Lumière shook his head. "Stop. It is all over. We have made our worst mistakes; now we learn from them. Right now, all I want to do is shower you with attention, make up for lost time, and plan our wedding."

Despite the smile that tugged at her lips, more tears began to form in Babette's eyes. Lumière only groaned playfully. "No more of those! I do not have enough kisses to dry so many tears!"

"Not even for me?" she asked, pouting.

"Not even for you," he laughed. "But how about this instead?"

Lumière slowly leaned in, taking extra special care of her lips as he claimed them for a kiss, one that they both had been missing for far too long. When he broke it off, he whispered, "I must have been a madman to think _that_ would ever cease to be passionate; you truly must forgive me for ever doubting you."

"Believe me, both of us will be…making up for our mistakes as soon as possible, I assure you," Babette replied coyly, allowing him one innocent peck of a kiss before she turned serious. "But…now that things are settled…may I ask again for a specific date of when you plan to make an honest woman of me?"

Lumière laughed gently. "Name the time and place, I will be there. Though considering the fact that I want it to be the most incredible day of our lives, I will need a decent amount of time to make it as such."

"Sounds perfect now," Babette agreed, a bit remorsefully. "It is too late to say that I want to be married before I look like this," she explained, stroking her growing belly.

Lumière covered her hand with his own. "Only more of you to love, and more to make beautiful so that you are the envy of every lady in the room."

Babette tried to keep a straight face, but a grin took over instantly. "That is probably the worst bit of flattery you have ever come up with."

Lumière smirked. "And you loved it nonetheless."

"Unquestionably," she laughed, kissing him sweetly before she stood, but not without a small show of effort.

Lumière held her around the waist, but gazed at her concerned. "What are you doing?"

"It is getting late, and surely Cogsworth must be wondering if you are still among the living."

"Then you stay here and I will go find him," he insisted. "In your condition…"

Babette rolled her eyes, interrupting the very thought. "I am not horrifically ill; I am just having a baby. The sickness part was over a while ago."

Lumière smiled gently, but still looked thoughtful. "Still, I do not want you moving more than you have to. Maybe it is better for you to stay here a bit longer."

"Are you mad?" Babette cried. "I have not seen anyone in two months; I want to go home!"

"All right, all right, relax," Lumière soothed, holding her close. "I take it that this is one of those sudden mood changes that I hear expectant women go through?"

Babette looked up at him, her expression calm but her eyes threatening. "Do you really want to test that theory further to see if it is true?"

He nodded decisively. "_Très bien_, home it is."

"I thought so."

With his help, Babette was packed and ready to leave soon after. Slowly and cautiously, Lumière assisted her in walking down the stairs, standing in front of her and watching her every step. Babette bit her lip to hide a smile and frustration. This constant worry on his part was going to get on her last nerve very quickly, but for now, it felt wonderful to see him care so much.

Upon reaching the final step, an interesting sound caught their ears, coming from Odette's office. Laughter, pleasant chatter, and…was that flirtation? Quietly, the couple made their way over to the slightly opened door, looking in to see the continuation of Cogsworth and Odette's previous conversation. Babette and Lumière looked at each other in surprise. Odette and Cogsworth? No, it couldn't be…could it?

As they entered, Lumière cleared his throat, both Cogsworth and Odette bolted out of their seats like two young children being caught in mischief. That alone confirmed his and Babette's suspicions, and Lumière mentally made a note to tease Cogsworth for it later.

"Well, well, she emerges from her room?" Odette said, moving to join them. "This looks promising."

Babette nodded. "We talked things over. I did not hurt him…much," she added with a smirk.

Cogsworth looked between the two of them. "I'm going to assume that all is well?"

"Very much so," Lumière replied, gazing only at his beloved. After being apart from her, he never wanted to look away again. "We are taking her home tonight."

Odette opened her mouth to protest instinctively, but one look at the pair was all it took to stop her. She had seen lust in the eyes of many men over the years, but that was the furthest look in Lumière's presently. In his eyes, there was genuine, heartfelt love, and there was not a sign of doubt or uncertainty on Babette's face about it. His intentions were true and honorable, and it would have been a mistake to deny her friend the happiness that she deserved.

"Then…I guess we have no choice than to wish her well," Odette concluded with a grin.

Babette turned to her, smiling joyously, and moved to embrace her. "I do not know what I would have done without you," she whispered, trying to keep the emotion over another good-bye from her tone.

"Probably lay rotting on a street somewhere, and we couldn't have that," Odette laughed to ease the moment, though her own voice was as choked up as Babette's.

Lumière spoke up immediately. "Why the tears?" he asked. "You are all coming to the wedding, _oui_?"

Odette pulled away and looked at him. "You know we'd love to…but…"

"Oh, Odette, please say you will come!" Babette begged.

"You would be more than welcome, I'm sure!" Cogsworth said, a hint of pleading in his tone.

Lumière nodded. "Indeed you would. You are the bride's family, of course; it would be terrible not to have you there."

Odette looked between the three of them before turning to Lumière again. "I would need about a week or so, giving everyone notice that we will be closed as well as for travel time."

"That works marvelously," Lumière agreed. "I need as much time as I can to make this the day everything that Babette deserves."

Odette slowly broke out into a smile, nodding. "Consider the invitation accepted." As Babette hugged her again, she laughed. "But you three better be going if you want to be ready in time. I'll see you out, come on."

When they reached the carriage, the men gave Odette and Babette some time alone for a proper farewell.

"I really can not thank you enough," Babette told her. "You better hurry and join us as soon as possible before missing all of you gets unbearable."

Odette patted her friend's hand. "I'll do everything I can to get us there sooner." She laughed gently. "I really can't believe it. Who would've thought _Le Fleur Noir _would see _two_ of its girls married off? First Brielle and now you."

"Indeed, who could have guessed?" Babette said with a girlish grin.

"Well, he's proved himself a good man," Odette replied, hugging her gently before putting her at arms' length. "I'm truly happy for you, _chérie_…though if I see his friend again at the wedding, I'll be even more happy."

Babette giggled under her breath. "We will talk about that when you come."

"Fair enough." Odette hugged her one last time. "Now go on. The faster you get home, the faster time will pass, and the family will all be together again."

Babette squeezed her hand affectionately. Turning to join Lumière and Cogsworth, she waved to Odette before accepting Lumière's help into the carriage…when she noticed her hand and one cold fact flashed through her mind. The ring! She had forgotten all about it!

"What is it, _ma plumette_?" Lumière asked, seeing the fear on her face when he climbed in beside her.

Babette shook her head adamantly, not ready to tell him yet, not when things were going so well. She smiled pleasantly. "Nothing, I am fine. I guess I am…just a little nervous about going home."

Lumière smiled, drawing her close as Cogsworth stepped in and the carriage began to move. "Get some rest, sweet one; we have a long ride ahead," he said, kissing her forehead.

"Do I really dare?" she asked. "What if this is all a dream?"

Lumière stroked her cheek. "Then this is one that you will not wake up from; I will see to that myself. Get some sleep."

When she snuggled cozily against him, falling into a deep sleep, Lumière tightened his hold, caressing her middle in awe. On the opposite seat, Cogsworth did not suppress a smile.

"Well, I'm glad to see that this all turned out splendidly and that we can finally get home!" he said contently.

Lumière shook his head. "Just one more stop to make, _mon ami_."

Cogsworth groaned. "Where _now_?"

"You shall see," Lumière replied vaguely, kissing into Babette's dark locks tenderly. Turning to his friend with a broad smirk, he said, "In the meantime, I want to hear how things went with Odette, you sly fox, you!"

Cogsworth blushed furiously, frowning. "We have a long ride, Lumière; get some rest," he answered dismissively, leaving the conversation at that.


	18. Chapter 17

_Chapter Seventeen_

"Thank heavens we're home!" Cogsworth proclaimed loudly, jumping down from the carriage and heading inside. "One more day of traveling and I would go mad!"

Lumière was far too happy to pay attention to Cogsworth's grumbling. He helped Babette climb down, gathered their bags, and immediately drew her close with his free arm. "It is good to have you back, _chérie_."

She tried to smile back, but her nervousness grew stronger with every step closer to the castle. Lumière sensed her tension and rubbed her shoulder, but not even his presence could relax her. The fact was that as a servant, Babette had abandoned the castle. She did not know how the master and mistress would respond to her coming home, and it frightened her.

When they stepped inside the foyer, Babette looked around the room for anyone, but thankfully it was vacant. Lumière tightened his hold, whispering, "Relax, do not be so afraid."

Babette nodded, unconvinced.

"Now, just wait here," Lumière said. "I will be right back."

"Where are you going?" Babette asked, reaching to grip his hand. "Do not leave me here alone. What will I say if someone sees me?"

"Hush, _ma plumette_," he replied soothingly. "Cogsworth and I have to inform the master that all of us are home. I am sure that both he and the mistress will be more than happy to see you."

"That is what I am afraid of," Babette said anxiously. "That they will not be."

"Babette, they were just as worried as anyone else," Lumière reassured her. "The day we discovered that you were gone, we immediately went out to search. The master even ordered the guards out to be sure we would find you."

Babette remembered that first morning in the cave, terrified of being found by the three men and dragged home. But if it was merely out of concern…maybe today _would_ be all right.

She nodded again, feeling a bit better. "_Très bien_, just hurry back."

"As fast as my feet can carry me," he promised, kissing her softly. She was home again, and he intended to do everything he could to make up for lost time. Murmuring against her lips, he added, "_Je t'aime_."

"Mmm, _à tout jamais_," she replied, whimpering playfully when he pulled away.

When Lumière looked back before going down the hall, she blew one more kiss to him, laughing at both Cogsworth having to drag him away and at herself for acting like such a little girl in love. But aside from nerves, she was thrilled to be at her lover's side again. Gathering her satchel, she tried to move to a corner to avoid being seen, but her attempt failed.

"Babette!" a little boy's voice cried from the stairwell. "You're back!"

Babette turned to see Chip racing towards her, his short stature only allowing him to hug her tightly around her skirts. _So much for wanting to keep things quiet_, she thought with a laugh as she slowly knelt down to hug him.

"With a welcome like that, maybe I should go away more!" she said.

The little boy shook his head, a big smile on his face. "No, don't leave again! You just got back!"

"_Très bien, petit_, I will not leave any time soon," she promised. With a wink, she added quietly, "Besides, someone has to be here helping you sneak sweets out of the kitchen, _oui_?"

Chip grinned proudly, taking a wrapped bundle from his pocket to show her a tiny cake. "Yep, got this one right after Chef baked them," he whispered. Holding it out to her, he offered, "Here, you can have it. A welcome home present!"

"Oh _merci_, I am starving!" she said gratefully. She broke it in half, handing him a piece and taking a bite of her own. "There you go, payment for my partner in kitchen crime."

"Thanks!" he cried, eating it quickly before someone could see him.

Babette stood up, feeling uncomfortable on the ground, and it did not take long before the boy noticed her middle, looking at her strangely. She smiled gently at his innocent torn expression, as though he was wondering if he should ask. _Well, everyone is going to find out soon enough_, she decided.

"Want to know a secret?" she asked, heavily emphasizing the conspiracy in her tone. He nodded adamantly, thrilled as any child would be to know an important-sounding secret. "Well," she continued, "very soon…you will have a new friend to play with."

Chip's eyes went wide. Belle's belly had looked the same way before Alexandre was born! "You're having a baby?" She nodded, and he hugged her again gently. "That's great news!" When he pulled away, his face twisted into childlike thought again. "Babette, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"How'd it get in there?"

Babette paused for only a second before she answered, "Ask your mother."

"I already did before Alexandre came," he said, not missing a beat. "She said she'd tell me when I got older. I'm older now!"

Babette shook her head, as though forlorn. "Alas, still not old enough yet, sorry."

Chip frowned, but brightened again with another question. "Do you know what it is? A boy or girl?"

Babette let out a subtle sigh of relief; that one she could answer. "Unfortunately no, _petit_, we will not know until the baby comes. It has to be a surprise."

Chip nodded decisively. "Surprises are fun; just tell me when it gets here."

"I most certainly will; you have my word," Babette swore, kissing his cheek and laughing when he wiped it off, still at the age when the worst thing in the world were girls' kisses. She offered her hand. "Come on, let us see if there are more desserts to 'test' in the kitchen."

The two walked hand-in-hand to their destination. If there was any place Babette would want to see people, it was there. Mrs. Potts was sure to be helping with the approaching lunchtime, and Babette really wanted to see a kind friend.

Sure enough, there she was with many others on the kitchen staff, when Chip announced, "Everybody, Babette's back!"

Mrs. Potts looked up, prepared to warn her son about making up stories, but she stopped in shock as Babette stepped forward.

"Oh, my goodness, thank the Lord!" Mrs. Potts cried, embracing the younger woman joyously. "We thought we'd lost you! Where have you been?"

"I swear, we shall talk about that later," Babette replied, now not being the time to discuss her whereabouts. "But I am glad to be home…" She smiled and gestured self-consciously at her middle. "Both of us are."

Mrs. Potts gasped, her gaze following where Babette gestured. "You…Lumière…?"

Babette nodded as more friends gathered around to hear the news. "_Oui_, three more months!"

"Oh, dear, such exciting news!" Mrs. Potts exclaimed, hugging her again. "I'm so happy to hear it!"

Across the room, Avril had heard the commotion and was watching curiously. This must be the famous Babette, she realized. Her thoughts were confirmed as Lumière entered the room with the master and mistress. "Babette!" cried the princess immediately rushing up to her and giving her a hug.

"Never leave us without a word again. That's an order!" Belle said, grinning in relief to see her home.

Lumière practically glowed with affection, reaching for Babette's hand and linking her arm through his as they stood before the royals. "I have every intention to see that she follows that order, your highness," he said, gazing at his lady. He turned to them, a playful seriousness about him. "To help keep my word, I ask formally and properly for your highness' permission to take her hand in marriage."

Vincent and Belle glanced at one another in the same manner as Lumière.

"Do you really love her?" the prince asked.

Lumière looked at Babette again, not taking his eyes away even as he lifted her hand to his lips. "With all my heart."

"And you love him just as much?" Belle asked Babette.

She in turn kept her eyes solely on Lumière. "Very much so, if not more."

"Then I have no choice," Vincent said. "To not grant such an honest request would just be inhumane." Smiling at his friends sincerely, he nodded. "You have our permission, as well as our wishes for all the happiness in the world."

Lumière and Babette beamed with utmost gratitude, thanking them both before Lumière drew his lady close to him for an irresistible kiss. Many in the room cheered and whistled in friendly jest, and others continued the well wishes once they broke apart.

Avril kept to herself, though she found that she was not as upset as she would have expected. She had seen Lumière in his worst times, missing this woman that he clearly loved with every ounce of his being. As his friend, she couldn't help being glad to see him so happy, although part of her couldn't help wishing that someday a man would look at her the same way.

Unfortunately, he caught sight of her watching, and she instantly averted her eyes. Surely Babette would not be happy if he had to explain who Avril was. It was best not to speak to him right now.

"Are you all right?"

Avril gasped, looking up to find Lumière standing next to her while Babette was distracted amongst their friends.

"I'm fine really," she said sincerely. "Congratulations!"

"_Merci, mon amie_," Lumière replied.

They fell into an awkward silence for a moment, neither noticing that Babette had caught sight of them, watching closely.

"Getting engaged _and_ finding out you're going to be a father in the same trip," Avril offered, leaning back against the wall with a nod. "You must be in heaven!"

Lumière nodded slowly, still not entirely comfortable with her tone, even though it was pleasant. "I am, indeed."

Avril put her hand on his arm. "Lumière, I'm serious. I have no regrets, and neither should you. I mean it. You truly deserve all the happiness I see in your eyes."

Lumière smiled genuinely. "You really are a good woman, Avril. Again, _merci_." He smirked, trying to ease his tension. "Now, before I left, I meant to ask…what is going on with Guillaume, the houseboy?"

Avril stared at him, confused. "What?"

"I could swear that I have heard that the boy is constantly asking about you!" Lumière laughed quietly. "Poor thing, he looks quite the lovesick puppy whenever you walk into the room."

"Lumière!" Avril hissed, smacking him playfully. "I swear, the things you say!"

He grew sincere after a hearty chuckle. "Well, should you ever consider, I say put him out of his misery and talk to him. He is a bit of a…'bootlicker,' I believe Cogsworth has called him, when it comes to the master and mistress. But overall he is a fine young man." He winked subtly. "Never know what could happen!"

Avril smiled. "Well, we'll see. In the meantime, I have to help with lunch. Go to your lady!"

"_Oui, mademoiselle_!" Lumière replied, standing at his full height and saluting teasingly, but he unquestioningly obeyed.

Babette quickly looked away as he made his way back towards her, not wanting him to catch her watching. For a split second, the sharp pain of jealousy had struck her hard. She could not help it; it was second nature to her. But remembering their argument a few days earlier, she was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt. Yes, he and this girl had been talking, a very friendly conversation, but there really did not seem to be anything to threaten her, no flirtatious nature about it.

When he was at her side again, Babette excused herself from the group, asking him to take her upstairs to rest. Out of earshot of others, she spoke up.

"She is very pretty," she said.

"She?"

"That was the girl you were with when I was gone, _non_?"

Lumière halted in place, gulping nervously. Not now, not when things were going so well!

"I…never said that I did see a woman."

"You did not have to." As he stuttered for an answer, Babette placed a finger on his lips. "Lumière, just tell me the truth."

Lumière swallowed again. "We…did have a small liaison, but it meant nothing. It went no further than a kiss and going to the Christmas party, I swear it."

Babette lowered her eyes, biting her lip. Her instinct was strong. She could not easily shake the feeling of jealousy as well as a bit of disappointment. It was a difficult habit to break. But unlike before, she remembered everything they had argued about, and more importantly, everything that he had gone through for her.

Guilt gradually overpowered jealousy, and Babette looked up at him again. Soon, they would be married, and it was time for a change all around, including in herself.

"I understand," she murmured.

Lumière looked at her, puzzled but hopeful. "Then…you are not angry?"

Babette held his hands in hers. "Lumière, it was not as though I was here, you saw her, and decided to dally with her on the side. For all you knew, I was gone, no good-bye, no word of where I was going, and that I had no intention of coming back. I never should have done that to you, _mon cher_, and I am very lucky that you took me back after how much I must have betrayed you…"

"_Chérie, non_," Lumière interrupted. "_Oui_, it hurt deeply, but I felt…more lost and alone than anything else. You are my life, the reason I wake up in the morning. Without you, I could not go on. Then Avril came along, and I was so lonely, so desperate…I thought maybe, somehow, I could love again. But all I could think about was you. I did not want anyone but you."

"I know," Babette whispered, tightening her arms around his neck. "I can not honestly say that I am happy, but I can not blame you for wanting to move on with your life." She looked at him, serious. "You are giving me what I want, and I can do the same for you. All you asked is that I trust you. Part of marriage is honesty and confidence. It is the least I can do after all you did for me."

Lumière smiled, relieved. "_Merci, amour_," he said, kissing her forehead. "Truly, I mean it."

Babette embraced him again, but she smirked when he could not see her. "But if anything else happens between you two now that I am back," she continued, lightening the mood, "I will not be responsible for the extreme actions an expectant woman can take."

Lumière pulled back, indignant, but she merely laughed and drew him in for a kiss. Never one to argue with that, he melted against her, all the more grateful to have her home.

ooo

For the next few weeks, plans for the wedding had gone without a hitch, and today - the day before the big event - the final preparations would settle into place.

When the last lunch plate was in the kitchen, Lumière went to look for Babette. From all accounts, she had last been seen going upstairs to rest, not looking too happy. Thanking each of his witnesses, Lumière headed straight up to their room with a smile on his face. Pregnancy was beginning to take its toll on Babette, and his poor, normally energetic ladylove was slowing down by the day, much to her dismay.

When he reached for the doorknob, a thud came from inside, and he waited for a pause before entering. A book slid away with the opening door, and Lumière grinned subtly. With Babette doing less work, Belle had offered to spend some time with her. Reluctantly, Babette had agreed to the princess' offer to help with reading. Apparently, it was not going well.

"Is this cruel book bothering you, _amour_?" Lumière asked, picking it up and bringing it with him to the bed.

Babette took a deep breath, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. "That is not funny," she grumbled. "While I appreciate the company, reading is a lost cause for me."

Lumière raised an eyebrow, still persistent to get a smile from her. "You do not…_miss_ working constantly, do you?" he teased.

"The break _is _nice," Babette sighed. "But…I do not know if I can take two more months of this."

Lumière cuddled up next to her. "It will be fine," he said soothingly. Conspiratorially, he laughed, "Look at it this way. Cogsworth can not get mad at you anymore for not working as often."

Babette looked at him, mockingly fearful and desperate to feel better. "I am starting to miss that."

Lumière gasped, touching her forehead. "_Mon Dieu_, you must have a fever then, _ma pauvre chérie_!" He kissed her, happy to see her beautiful lips curve into a grin as they laughed. "Well, hopefully I can make you feel completely better when I say that everything is going marvelously."

"Really? Tell me."

Lumière nodded. "_Absolument_. Mrs. Potts finished fixing your best dress this morning. She has been so hard at work on it. Chef will have the _croquembouche_ ready in plenty of time." He felt around his vest, searching for something. "All that leaves…is your ring. I am going to need it for tomorrow. Did you find it for me?"

Babette went completely pale. He had asked her for the ring shortly after they returned home. She had warded him off with a false promise that she surely had it in her satchel, and that she would give it to him as soon as possible. But there was no longer any time to avoid the question.

She bit her lip nervously. "Lumière…the ring…"

Lumière allowed her a moment when she stalled before he prodded, "The ring…?"

"The ring is…gone."

He grew puzzled and concerned. "Gone? What do you mean?"

Babette swallowed. Why did she have to be so foolish months ago? "I-I sold it."

"You…_sold_ it?" Lumière asked slowly, more confusion creeping into his eyes. "As in, you no longer have it?"

"I am so sorry!" Babette cried, grasping his hand tightly. "I did not mean to!"

"How could this be…?"

"I never wanted to, but I was not thinking clearly," Babette insisted. "I just…never thought I would be coming back, and I had to think of the baby…"

Lumière reached into his vest pocket, producing a tiny box. "How could this be," he went on matter-of-factly, "if I have it right here?"

Now it was Babette's turn to be confused, but she gasped happily when he opened the box to show her the exact ring in question.

"This is…you…how did you…?" she stammered, happily surprised. It was even more beautiful than before, polished and shined to perfection as though it were brand new.

Lumière grinned. "You are a terrible liar, _ma chérie_. I noticed the day we left _Le Fleur Noir_ that it was gone. There was only one jeweler nearby, and as luck would have it, _voila_!" he said, gesturing to the ring. "With a little persuasion, I was able to get it back, and get this as well." He took the ring from the box, revealing that it was on a chain. "I would much rather wait until tomorrow to see it grace your hand again, and we can not have it wandering away again."

Babette smiled gratefully, turning around and pulling her hair forward as he clasped it around her neck. "This is a very good idea actually," she said, getting a little quiet. "Who knows how much longer it will fit properly?"

Lumière slid his arms around her waist, drawing her back against him and kissing her shoulder. "Now, none of that!" he admonished. "You, _ma papillion_, are as stunning as always, and getting more so by the day."

"Do not lie," she replied, moping.

Lumière nuzzled her neck. "Never," he promised, his hands beginning to explore. "You are always beautiful, but now…oh, now there is more to love." He leaned close to her ear, whispering, "And tomorrow night, I most certainly will."

Her skin was tingling under his touch, and Babette writhed delightedly. Holding his hands in place when he did something she enjoyed, she gasped, "Remind me why we are waiting again?"

Lumière pried himself away before he was incapable of stopping. He had sworn to himself and Babette that he was going to do this like a gentleman, abstaining from intimacy until their wedding night. But as impatience mounted for both of them, he needed a good self-reminder.

"Because I have every intention to follow through with my promise," he said. "This will not be just any ordinary night. I want it to be special and unforgettable, the most perfect and romantic ever. After all, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.'"

Babette shifted to face him, her lips seeking his. "My heart is fond enough," she purred. "Oh, Lumière, please, I miss you…_all_ of you."

Lumière surrendered to one kiss, but forced himself to break away. "_Ma plumette_," he said pleadingly. "I want to keep my word. Just one more day."

Thankfully, sounds from downstairs in the foyer gave him good reason to stop. Lumière excused himself quickly, moving into the hallway to listen, and then came back into the room, a broad grin about his face.

"Are you up to any more surprises?" he asked.

Babette raised a curious eyebrow, but happily accepted his hands when he held them out to her. "What are you up to now?"

"You will just have to come with me and find out," he replied, walking with her downstairs.

But before they reached the foyer, a loud female voice carried through the halls.

"All this for a married royal couple and a baby? It'd take _months_ to walk through this place!"

Sure enough, waiting in the gigantic entrance hall were none other than Odette and Aubrey. Babette smiled gleefully, having convinced herself that after so long, her friends would not be there in time.

"Then you'd better start walking now!" she countered, moving as quickly as she could to meet them halfway. "_Dieu merci_, I thought you would never make it!"

"Immoral, we may be," Odette replied, teasingly philosophic, "but nonetheless, we're always true to our word. You really thought we wouldn't get here somehow?"

"A little credit has to go to your man over there," Aubrey admitted. "Sent the carriage perfectly on schedule and everything."

Babette turned back to Lumière, scolding, "I asked you if you sent anyone to get them and you told me 'not yet'!"

"But if I told you the truth, it would not be a surprise, would it?" Lumière replied, unaffected. "Besides, this is not the half of it. You already knew they were coming the day we left the hall."

"True," Babette agreed, thoughtfully. "Then…what else is there?"

"Me, perhaps?" a new voice called.

Babette stood, perfectly still. She knew that voice, though she had not heard it in years. She looked up at Lumière, not daring to hope, but he smiled encouragingly for her to turn around. When she did, the girls had stepped aside, both beaming. Odette felt tears in her eyes already, and Aubrey strived to hide her own for appearance's sake.

Behind them stood four more people, and the older woman came forward. She laughed gently at Babette's apparent shock.

"Remember me?" she asked. "It's been so long, you know."

Babette felt her eyes getting misty. "B-Brielle?"

The woman nodded, her arms outstretched. Babette wasted no time in accepting the unspoken invitation, wrapping her arms around her tightly and crying happily into her friend's shoulder. There was never a denial that all the girls at _Le Fleur Noir_ were her family; she loved them all dearly. But Brielle was her closest, dearest friend. Babette had taken her under her wing the same way Odette and Aubrey had done to her when she arrived. Through the best and worst of times, the girls ran to one another first and foremost.

Babette drew back, choking out a laugh. "This feels like a dream," she gasped, cupping Brielle's face. "You do not know how much I hoped, prayed…"

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," Brielle replied, hugging her again. "The girls brought me Lumière's invitation personally the day before we left Paris. You haven't seen last-minute packing until you saw us hurry to be ready by that morning!" She turned and gestured to her family. "We just had to be here to see you join our ranks," she added with a grin.

Babette smiled, wiping her eyes free of tears. "I am happy that you all came," she said. She nodded to the older man, recognizing him clearly as Brielle's husband. "Claude, it is nice to see you again," she said. She added, playfully parental, "It is good to know that you treated her well."

Claude offered that boyish grin of his in return, taking Babette's hand to kiss it respectfully. "I wouldn't dare to do otherwise. Brielle has the finest defense in all of France on her side," he teased. He gazed at Brielle affectionately. "Really, these have been the happiest years of my life, and I wish you the same."

"_Merci_," Babette replied gratefully before he attention turned to the boy and girl. Both could not be younger than fourteen, she guessed, and her smile broadened.

Brielle confirmed her thoughts. Glowing with motherly pride, she said, "And this beautiful pair are our children, Jean-Luc and Noelle."

Babette tried desperately not to cry again, and thankfully succeeded. After everything that Brielle had gone through, to see that she had a son and daughter made Babette's heart leap for joy. Noelle grinned shyly – very much like her mother, Babette noted – and nodded her head in gratitude. Jean-Luc followed his father's lead, and politely kissed Babette's hand.

"Thank you for having us, _madame_," he said. "Maman's told us a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope," Babette laughed. "I am honored that all of you came."

When Lumière came to join them, giving Babette's hand a warm squeeze, Brielle said, "This must be the groom himself."

"In person," Lumière answered jovially. "I am delighted to finally meet you."

Babette gazed up at him in adoration. "I could not ask for a more amazing man after all he has done," she murmured.

"Hey, just a minute!" Aubrey said indignantly as she and Odette came forward. "What are we? We actually _got_ them here!"

Lumière laughed. "They certainly did, _ma plumette_! I could not have done it without them!"

Aubrey smirked proudly. "That's more like it!"

"And such kindness and friendship deserves a reward," Babette added. "It is a long journey and I am sure you could all use some rest. I suggest we find everyone a room."

Odette sighed with dramatic exhaustion. "I thought you'd never think of that! Let's go!"

As their guests headed for the stairs, Babette held Lumière back, kissing him fully.

"_Merci, mon amour_," she whispered when they broke apart. "You have no idea how happy I am."

"_C'est de rien, ma chérie_," he replied. "I promised you the best, _non_?"

"You certainly succeeded, and the ceremony has not even happened yet!"

Lumière pressed a kiss into her palm. "It only gets better from here, I assure you. Now let us get everyone situated, so that you may all relax."

"Gladly," Babette replied, leaning into his arms as they followed the group.


	19. Chapter 18

_Chapter Eighteen _

Babette sighed as Brielle sat to the side, giggling under her breath at her friend's expressions. Mrs. Potts had fixed the dress, but Madame de la Grande Bouche had insisted that she offer some "final touches" to make it "stunning." While Babette thought that her dress looked wonderful, there was a dear friend who she had not seen in _years_ waiting to spend time together, and the last thing she wanted was to be poked and prodded.

Madame, meanwhile, inspected Babette with a perfectly trained critical eye. "Well, it should only take a few more adjustments, but…"

"But it really should wait!" Brielle interjected, purposely overdramatic. "Just for a little while. The poor thing looks exhausted!"

Playing along, Babette nodded slowly, lowering her eyes and placing her hand over her middle. "_Oui_, Madame, please!" she said. "The baby is making it very difficult for me to stand up, with all of its kicking and moving, and I am so tired. I appreciate the help, but this is perfect, really."

Madame smiled gently. "Oh very well, you do have quite a knack for being beautiful after all," she said with a wink. "Perhaps tomorrow, I can help you get ready for the ceremony?"

Babette nodded. "That would be perfect, _merci_."

"All right then, pleasant dreams!" Madame replied, gathering her things and heading for the door. "Sleep well!"

"_Bonne nuit_!" the ladies called. But once the door was closed, Babette flopped onto the bed heaving a sigh of relief.

"The woman is a dear friend, but _mon Dieu_, I thought she would never leave!" she said, laughing.

Brielle joined in, climbing in next to her and getting comfortable. "She only wanted to help."

"I know, that is why I will not complain too much," Babette said, taking her friend's hand happily. "I am _so_ happy you are here though! The night before my wedding, and I can think of no better friend to share it with. I missed you so much, _ma petite soeur_!"

Brielle smiled, hugging her gently around the shoulders. "I missed you too! You have no idea!" she said. "While the girls are fun, it's nice to have some time that's just us. At least they're both pleasantly occupied."

"How so?" Babette asked.

"Last I heard Aubrey was downstairs trying her hand at fencing, and Odette was having a nice chat with that English gentleman in charge."

"We have plenty of time then!" Babette said excitedly. "Fencing is perfect for Aubrey, civilized fighting, and Cogsworth can talk until he is blue in the face when he wants to show off!"

Brielle laughed. "Exactly, so tell me," she said, "Aside from some mishaps that I heard from the girls, life is good?"

Babette nodded, grinning. "Now it is, _oui_. I have been waiting _years_ for this, and now it is actually happening! And with the baby on the way…oh, I could not be happier."

"As well you should!" Brielle agreed. Remembering Babette's earlier comment, she asked, "And the baby is really kicking now?"

Babette beamed. "_Oui_," she said. Taking Brielle's hand, she added, "In fact, here." She placed it at her middle, and Brielle smiled as she felt the tiny movement.

"Isn't it amazing?" she asked, her memory wandering to when she had carried her own children.

Babette nodded. "_Absolument_," she said softly. "It finally feels like this is happening."

"I remember before Jean-Luc was born," Brielle said, reminiscing. "The first time it happened, I was so surprised, and Claude and I couldn't stop marveling over it." She looked up at Babette. "Does Lumière know?"

Babette shook her head. "_Non_, not yet," she said. "Call it my wedding present to him."

"I'm sure he will love that!"

"I can hardly wait to tell him!" Babette laughed. "He has been so attentive and sweet since I came home." She smiled lovingly. "He is going to be the best father this child can have. I just hope that I can say the same about myself as a mother."

Brielle grinned. "You will also be the best. I know you will."

"And how so?" Babette asked with a smirk.

"Because if you are as caring and maternal with this child as you were to me, then I just know," Brielle countered, genuinely sincere, hugging her close. "You are going to be an incredible mother and from what I've seen between you two throughout the day, Lumière will be lucky to have you as his wife."

Babette smiled, embracing her tightly. "_Merci, mon amie_, for everything."

"I can't say enough that I'm more than happy to be here for it all!" Brielle replied before she pulled back, playfully conspiratorial. "Now, tell me about the plans for tomorrow…"

ooo

The next day, for once in his life, Lumière prided himself on being precisely on time. With minutes to spare, he stood outside in the hallway waiting for Babette as, according to French tradition, the groom walked his bride to the ceremony. Checking his appearance for the hundredth time, he nodded with satisfaction at what he saw in the mirror. The elegant blue coat that his father had given him years ago had not worn with age. He ran his hand through his reddish brown hair a few times, neatly smoothing his tied back coiffure.

Only the door opening nearby turned his attention away from the mirror. When Madame exited from the room, she smiled, waving him over.

"Suave and debonair as ever!" she complimented him, earning his gratitude in the form of a "_Merci_" and a gentlemanly kiss on the hand.

"And in your care, I trust _ma fiancée_ looks just as lovely?" Lumière asked.

Madame laughed as he tried to sneak a look behind her. "Well perhaps I should put you out of your misery and let you decide," she said, stepping away to give them some privacy.

As Babette came forward, Lumière's jaw dropped at the vision. Her best dress, a formal one of white and black, still looked stunning on her. A simple veil of lace adorned her head, covering an intricate weave of her dark brown curls. When he smelled that all-too-familiar scent of lavender, Lumière could not resist drawing her close, kissing each spot it radiated from – her wrists, her throat, below her ear…

"_Ma chérie_, I am truly speechless," he whispered.

Babette giggled. "Such a rare instance," she purred, kissing him softly. "You yourself are quite a wonder to behold, so handsome and dashing. I feel as though I will swoon from the sight."

Lumière smirked, challenging. "Is that enough to make you my bride? Or does the lady require…more?"

"'More,' as you say, must wait until later," Babette countered. Her smile, however, grew sincere. "But 'more' in the sense of how wonderful you are, how much I adore you, now that is what won you my heart."

Lumière kissed her sweetly in response. "I was hoping that those were the clinchers." He took her hand, placing a kiss into her palm, and wrapped his arm around her, to which she gently leaned into his hold. "Shall we?"

Babette nodded eagerly. "Lead on."

With a loving smile, he led her down the stairs carefully to the ballroom where the entire household, their family and friends, had gathered for the celebration. A lovely tune began to play as they entered, and all eyes turned on them. At first, Babette could hardly believe that she was not dreaming. She even pinched herself lightly to be absolutely certain. But it was real! After years of waiting and hardships, the dream was coming true. Tears immediately began to fall from her eyes and her heart swelled with joy.

As they reached the front of the room, the music faded to a close, and the priest cleared his throat to begin.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God to join together this man and woman in matrimony. Into this holy estate, these two persons present now come to be joined. If there is anyone who does not wish them to be…"

Lumière coughed in a manner of polite interruption. Knowing some of their fellow servants – many being past liaisons for the both of them – he would not risk an objection from anyone. "Father, with all due respect," he whispered, "it is best to skip that part."

The priest looked at him, utterly confused, but nodded slowly. "Uh…very well," he complied quietly. He continued, "We are here today before God because marriage is one of His most sacred wishes. This occasion marks the celebration of love and commitment with which this man and woman begin their life together.

"Marriage is an act of faith and personal commitment as well as a moral and physical union between two people. It has been described as the best and most important relationship that can exist between them. It is the construction of their love and trust into a single life. It should be a life long consecration of the ideal loving kindness backed with the will to make it last.

"It is with this in mind that I ask you to state your vows before God and this gathering." He turned to Lumière. "Do you take this woman to be your wife? Will you love and comfort her, honor and keep her, for better or for worse, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's devotion as long as you both shall live?"

Lumière gazed down at his beloved, murmuring the expected, "I do." But as the priest was about to go on, Lumière stroked her cheek, adding from the bottom of his heart, "Two flames…one light. Babette, I offer myself to you." He smiled, lowering his hand to her middle with reverence. "Both of you, as your husband and our child's father. Let us walk together always, and let us always walk towards the light. _Je t'aime, ma chérie_."

Babette reached to return the affection, not even waiting for the priest to give the same speech to her. "When there has been cold, you have brought me warmth," she said, her voice choking slightly passed her tears. "When life was dark, you brought me light. Lumière, I promise, before everyone here, to be your wife from this day forward. Let us make two lives into one life, and always love, honor and respect each other."

The priest frowned between the both of them, but neither noticed. Clearing his throat again before they could interrupt any more years of tradition, he proceeded, "Do you have the ring?"

Babette nodded, reaching to unclasp the chain around her neck, placing the ring in Lumière's hand and the chain into a pocket in her skirts.

The priest once again turned to Lumière. "Take this ring and repeat after me."

Lumière did as he was told. "With this ring, I thee wed…this gold and silver, I thee give…with my body, I thee worship…and with all that I have, I thee endow." He lifted her hand, touching the ring to the first three fingers as he finished, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." He slipped the ring onto the appropriate finger, and looked back to her eyes with promise. "Amen."

The priest addressed the crowd. "What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder. And so, by the power vested in me by the Almighty Lord in Heaven, I now pronounce you man and wife." He nodded to Lumière. "You may now kiss the bride."

Lumière did not need to be told twice, and without question or doubt, he followed the order. Babette responded fervently as the assembly erupted into cheers.

Soon after, the crowd dispersed throughout the room, and the musicians began to play once again. The newlyweds took to the floor in the first dance, hardly aware of anyone else in the room.

Lumière held his bride tightly against him, leaning in to whisper, "_Ma plumette_, are you as happy as I am?"

Babette smirked, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. "That depends, _mon cher_."

"Oh really?" Lumière replied, immediately taking up the challenge. "On what exactly?"

"Well," Babette said, drawing back to look at him. "How happy are you?"

"Oh, let me see," Lumière countered, mock thoughtful. "I am in love with the most extraordinary, attractive, passionate woman of all time. That same woman has just vowed to stay with me forever and be my wife, my friend and lover. On top of all this, she is also carrying our child, a being that we created out of love, the grandest gift anyone could ask for." He nodded decisively. "I do believe that makes me quite happy, so much that I am practically floating on air with her at my side and no intention of coming down. What do you say to that?"

Babette glowed with love and adoration. Kissing him deeply, she replied, "Then to answer your question, I could not be any more happier."

ooo

The party continued on late into the night. When the wine had been drunk and the _croquembouche_ demolished, Babette excused herself from the millionth group of friends offering well wishes to find Lumière. Not too far away, he was doing the exact same thing, smiling at her as they met halfway. Feigning fatigue, she relaxed against him when he reached to hold her.

Leaning her lips up to his ear, however, she murmured softly, "I am going upstairs. Tell everyone that I am tired…and then join me in ten minutes."

She drew herself away, stroking his cheek gently as she saw him swallow subtly. "Just a bit longer, _mon pauvre_," she said, playfully sweet and comforting. "And then, we fulfill our final…matrimonial duty."

"You little tease," he whispered trying to bring her back to him, but she evaded being captured.

"Ah, ah, ah! I am 'tired,' remember?" she scolded, though she could not resist a kiss. With a coy grin, she added, "I will be waiting."

Turning for the door, Babette headed for their room. She quickly lit a candle and changed, putting everything away before pulling on the nightgown and robe that the girls had brought from Paris for her…or trying to. Looking down at her middle, she frowned. The gown felt a bit tight, thankfully not to the point of physical discomfort, but certainly enough to notice. But not wanting to dampen the mood, she pushed the thought aside, smirking as she remembered that it truly would not be on much longer.

Sitting down in front of a small mirror, Babette removed the pins holding her hair in place, shaking her head gently to release her long, dark tresses around her shoulders. She gave them a thorough brushing and had almost finished when she felt a familiar hand grasp her wrist to stop her from perfecting her hairstyle. Without a second thought, she looked at the nearest clock.

"You are early, oh impatient one," she giggled, allowing Lumière's hands to find their way to her shoulders. "I was not done."

"Forgive me," he said, no regret in his tone. "As a penance, I think I should help you finish what you were doing."

Lumière slowly ran his fingers through her hair. After a few innocent strokes, he smiled at her reflection in the mirror, and began to caress her, affectionately at first and then more sensuously. Babette gasped in approval, closing her eyes and turning in her chair. She gripped his forearms to stand up, pressed heavily against him, and covered his lips with hers. His touch excited her, and while she normally would not give in so easily, her patience from the past few months, let alone weeks, was well worn through.

"Oh, Lumière," she purred, her breathing getting deeper.

Lumière slid his hands beneath her robe, pushing it gently down her arms. He swallowed hard at the sight of a sleeveless nightgown. Her smooth, bare arms set his heart racing, knowing what was to come.

He stepped back, admiring her at arm's length. "_Ma chérie_…look at you," he whispered, desire in his eyes. "You are absolutely beautiful."

Babette suddenly grew self-conscious, watching his stare move to her belly. Relying on a bit of humor to feel better, she offered, "Are you talking to me…or someone else in there?"

Lumière looked back up to her eyes, grinning. "A little of both, I suppose." Sensing her insecurity, his grin broadened, and he leaned in to kiss her before walking her to the bed. "But this time is just for us, _ma femme_."

Babette smiled happily. "What did you call me?"

Lumière reached for her cheek, rubbing down the length of her neck. Listening to her sigh softly, he murmured, "_Ma femme_…at last."

Babette held his hand tightly, bringing it up to nuzzle intimately. "I love the sound of that." She smirked teasingly, fingering the buttons first on his coat then at his vest and shirt, removing them in a fluid motion. "Now, make it…official."

Easing her backwards onto the pillows, he loomed above her, a solitary finger tracing the pattern at various places on her nightgown. "I thought we did that part already, many times in fact?" he teased, nuzzling her neck.

"Not as a married couple," she pointed out, loving the attention.

"Ah, very true," he agreed, gripping the hem. He pulled the gown up carefully over her head, gazing at a body that was both familiar, yet different to him. Her bosom had swelled, her shape was even more curvaceous and womanly than usual, with more of her to lavish attention upon, and he took full advantage of it. Listening to her sounds of satisfaction, he knew he was doing things right.

But after a while, he could not take it much longer. Lumière let out a shuddery groan, immediately claiming her lips with his. "Babette…I need you, _ma plumette_, want you, ache for you." He looked at her, straight in the eye, genuinely sincere and adoring. "_Je t'aime, mon amour_. But I do not want to hurt you."

Babette smiled, touched deeply by the sentiment. "I will be fine, _mon cher_. We may have to be a little…creative, but it will be all right." She rested against the pillows comfortably, looking up at him pleadingly. "_Mon mari_," she whispered, "make me your wife."

Lumière held her in his arms, heightening his exploration gradually. He paused now and then to be sure Babette was all right, but every time he did, she would moan softly, not in pain, merely protesting his stalling. One encouragement was all it would take, and he willingly continued kissing her, caressing, tasting and fulfilling their desires. He loved her, vowed to do so forever. With his every movement, every word, he proved those vows, determined to give her the special night that only his wife deserved.

The flame atop the nearby candle flickered weakly by the time the couple lay in each other's arms spent, satisfied, and happy. As Lumière tried to catch his breath from their last venture, Babette stroked his hair, barely able to ignore the sensations where he rested at her breast.

"You are so incredible," she said, her voice trembling from the intensity of excitement. Kissing his forehead, she added with a smirk, "Quite the talent, indeed."

Lumière could not hold back a laugh, crawling up to her eye level. "_Merci beaucoup_, I aim to please," he replied, euphorically blissful and content. "You are pretty remarkable yourself."

Babette snuggled close into his embrace, taking his hand and putting it at her swelling belly. Lumière could hardly focus on anything except the stunning woman in his arms…

That is why it startled him when he felt something nudge against his hand. When he looked at Babette, bewildered, she smiled at him.

"I was going to tell you soon," she said, "but apparently the baby is not one for surprises."

Lumière's eyes lit up in realization. "That was…?" She nodded, and he looked back at her middle in awe. The baby kicked again, and he laughed heartily, amazed. "_Dieu_…our baby…"

"Our baby," she repeated. "Mine." She kissed lightly behind his ear. "Yours." Her warm breath tickled the spot as she added huskily, "You did that."

"The woman is insatiable!" he growled, returning the favor before gazing at her sleepily. "But if _madame_ agrees, I need a reprieve, and would very much enjoy simply lying here with my family."

Babette pouted teasingly for a moment, but then smiled lovingly, closing her eyes. "That actually sounds like wonderful idea."

Lumière grinned, offering one final kiss. "Get some rest, _ma femme_," he said soothingly. "We could always continue in the morning. I do not think even Cogsworth will be foolish enough to end our _lune de miel _too soon."

She giggled, and he reveled in the delightful sound. Sleep beckoned for now, and they welcomed it with open arms. Besides, they had their entire lives ahead of them…their entire wedded lives. It felt even better than Lumière could have imagined, finally married to an amazing woman that he adored, anticipating their baby's arrival day by day. It was no wonder that he followed his beloved wife into slumber with a smile on his face, eager to wake up beside her the next morning.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter could not have been possible without the help from the following!_

_1) The outfits that Lumi and Babs wear are those of the Broadway musical, long may it reign. Visuals can be seen here: Babette (__http colon // i2 . photobucket . com / albums / y28 / LumBabsFan / Fave percent 20 Fave percent 20 Site percent 20 Pics / beast4 . jpg__ ) and Lumi (__http colon // i2 . photobucket . com / albums / y28 / LumBabsFan / Fave percent 20 Fave percent 20 Site percent 20 Pics / johnnylumi . jpg ) (Take AWAY the spaces and replace "colon" and "percent" with the appropriate symbols)_

_2) The vows are from my wedding vows . com ("Two Flames" and "Cold & Warmth" under Personalized)._

_3) The rings dialogue is from one of my favorite films, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (1982 version)._

_And finally, the priest's ceremony itself was done on the B&S Role Play, in which I play Lumiere. The greatest group of people online, and I seriously thank them for giving me the beautiful inspiration of a Lumi Babs wedding there, especially Dave who "performed" it for us. Yay Dave! I bow down at their feet; love to them all!_

_One more chapter to go, stay tuned!_


	20. Chapter 19

_Chapter Nineteen_

"If you want to go inside, you have but to ask," Lumière insisted.

Babette rolled her eyes, reminding herself that she was fortunate to have a husband who cared so deeply for her. His apprehension in her final month, however, was grating on her last nerve. It was a glorious spring day with the sun shining and the weather just right. Lumière had promised – reluctantly – that when lunch was over, they could have a picnic outside for a change of scenery. But he would not stop worrying!

"For the last time, _mon cher_," she said, hungrily starting on an apple, "I am perfectly fine. Even the midwife told you that."

"But she also said that the baby is due in two weeks," Lumière reminded her. "In case it decides to arrive early, I would rather see you nice and cozy in our bed than outdoors on a meager blanket."

Babette sighed, guiding his arms around her as she snuggled back into his embrace. "I prefer that too, but rest assured, I am also very comfortable where I am now."

Lumière smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I am not going to win, am I?"

"You never do," Babette teased matter-of-factly. "But on to more important things. When will we stop calling our child 'it' or 'the baby'? As you constantly say lately, there is not much time left."

"Well, what names have you come up with?" he asked.

"If it is a girl, Celina – Celie for short – after my mother," Babette suggested. "I have always wanted my first daughter to be her namesake."

Lumière nodded. "That is wonderful idea! After the stories you have told me, she sounded like a wonderful woman."

"She certainly was," Babette said reminiscently.

"Would she have approved of me?" Lumière asked with a smirk.

Babette grinned, reaching back to stroke his cheek. "She would have adored you, faults and everything," she replied with a wink. Returning to the subject, she said, "For a boy, it is a little more difficult." She bit her lip, a little nervous. "But I was thinking…perhaps, Lucien?"

Lumière hesitated. "Well…uh, maybe."

"It was just a thought, considering he is like a brother to you."

Lumière raised an eyebrow. "And at one time, your first serious lover. If Lucien had ultimately severed his engagement to Nicolette, you and I would not be together."

"_Oui_, but at the same time, he _brought _us together," Babette countered. "He arranged for me to come here, and then later, he was the one insisting that I give you a chance."

"_Touché_," he acknowledged. "But what about if it use that as a middle name instead?"

She smiled, teasing, "Let me guess, you want a junior?"

"_Dieu, non!_" Lumière laughed. "I doubt Cogsworth's sanity could take that. _Non_, for a boy, just as you wish to name a girl after your mother, I would name a son after my father, Chanlet. We lost my mother when I was a boy, rest her soul." He paused to smile lightheartedly. "And anyone who had to bear the hardships of raising _me_ all by himself deserves this much at least, _oui_?"

Babette giggled, though she knew the truth. Lumière had been as close to his father as she had been to her mother. Years ago, the day they had received word that Chanlet had died, Lumière was so heartbroken and distraught. It took him days after returning home from the funeral in Paris to be himself again. For Lumière to have his son named after his father would mean the world to him.

Thus with a nod, she said decisively, "Then it is settled. Chanlet, if it is a boy, and Celina, if it is a girl. How does that sound?"

"_C'est magnifique_," Lumière agreed, adding with a grin, "Perfect, as usual."

"_Très bien_." Babette glanced coyly up at him. "Now, I saw you sneak some of that delicious pastry into the basket, and the baby deserves to know what a culinary genius his or her papa is…"

ooo

Babette had never expected her final month to be easy, but with each passing day and night, she wondered how much more she could take. By now, it was possible for the baby to arrive at any time safely, and she wished that it would hurry up already!

For the millionth time this night, she groaned, opening her eyes and lying awake in bed. She tossed and turned into any position she could manage – a challenge in itself, since in her ninth month, her body felt as big and unwieldy as a house. But nothing seemed to work. The snoring next to her did not help either. She scowled at Lumière, envious as he comfortably dreamed away the hours. All she could do was sit there, awake and tired, letting a few tears slip down her cheeks.

Unbeknownst to her, Lumière's eyes fluttered open, hearing her crying. He never let on to her, lest he risk worrying her more than usual; after all she worried over everything lately. But he was having his own sleeping troubles. He was normally a very deep sleeper, not moved to wake even in the worst disasters. The baby's fast approaching arrival, however, had changed that completely.

"_Ma chérie_, what is it?" he yawned as he lit a candle on the bedside table. Sitting up slowly, he enveloped her in his embrace.

Babette accepted, snuggling close to him, but only slightly pacified. "Never again."

"What?"

"This had better be the only child you want because I am _not_ going through this again!" she snarled.

Lumière sighed, doubting that he would ever get used to her drastically changing moods. _Oui_, they were something to be reckoned with when she was not expecting, but her pregnancy had only intensified them. Nonetheless, he grinned, kissing into her hair and caressing her tenderly. It always managed to calm her.

"Whatever you say, _mon amour_," he murmured.

But Babette slapped at his hand. "Stop it! That is what brought me to this to begin with."

Lumière backed away a bit, dejected. "I did not mean it to be romantic…entirely. I was only trying to help."

"Far from it," she sulked, turning away and trying in vain again to get comfortable. "You can sleep, look as wonderful as ever, and are not confined to this room all day!"

Lumière strived to remain the rational one of the pair. It would not do any good to have both of them be irritable. It was frustrating for him too! Everything he did lately was wrong!

"Is there anything I can do that _will_ help?" he asked.

There was a pause, and then he heard his beloved mumble softly, "Carry this baby for me."

He smiled, grateful that she could not see him and take it the wrong way. "You know I would if it were possible, but alas, I can not. Is there anything else?

Babette felt her stomach growl, something that she had been trying to ignore. But…perhaps if she were to eat a little something, maybe it would help – one less thing to worry about, so to speak.

She turned to look at him again. "Are there any more of those cookies left over from dinner in the kitchen?"

"I believe so, _oui_."

"Could you get some for me?" she asked with her perfected adorable pout that no man could refuse.

Lumière nodded. "If it will truly help, then I certainly will," he said, kissing her sweetly.

With a mighty yawn and stretch, he rose from the bed, taking the candle with him. It was a decent trek to the kitchen, but for her to finally relax, it would be worth it. When he found the cookies in question, he took a small handful, wrapping them in a cloth and bringing them back to the room.

"_Et voila_!" Lumière presented quietly, handing over the bundle.

Babette thanked him, taking the cloth away and greedily starting on one. But as she ate…she gazed at the rest, contemplating.

"Is something wrong?" Lumière asked, returning under the covers. "Too many? We can always put them aside for tomorrow."

"I do not think this is enough," she said simply.

"Not enough?" Lumière replied, incredulously.

"I am eating for two, remember?"

Lumière stared at her. "Babette, it is late. A snack is one thing, but…"

"But what?" Babette snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Is getting your wife, who has been carrying _your_ child for nine long months, a little bit more food so much trouble? Am I really bothering your precious sleep so much? At least you _can_ sleep! Go right ahead!! I will just lay here, wide awake and completely uncomfortable while you spend the night in peaceful slumbers!"

"All right, all right, it is no trouble, of course not!" Lumière interrupted, surrendering. The sooner he brought back the food, the sooner she could relax and he could get back to sleep! Rising from the bed again, he asked, "What would you like?"

Babette thought for a moment. "A few _baguettes_ should do it."

"_Très bien_," he said, heading for the door.

"Cheese and fruit too?"

He gripped the knob. "_Absolument_."

"Oh, and pickles!" she called.

Lumière nodded impatiently, wanting very much to get downstairs before she asked for everything in the kitchen. Gathering the food she asked for, he could swear that part of her wanted this much simply to have something to do the next day. _Or later today by now_, he thought tiredly. Cleaning up the bed would be required after all of this.

Returning to the room, he placed the plate of food before her. "There we are, everything you requested," he said, climbing back into bed and returning to his slumbers.

"Ah, _merci, mon cher_," Babette replied, ravenously eating away. But when the food was gone, she still did not feel satisfied. She reached to nudge her husband gently. "Lumière? Lumière, wake up."

Lumière could not hold back an audible groan. There would be no rest for the weary tonight. "What is it, _chérie_?" he asked, sitting up again and rubbing his eyes.

"I would really like some warm milk."

Lumière turned a sleepy gaze at her. "Do you know how long it will take to warm a glass of milk?" But upon seeing The Wrath building in her eyes again, he rose for a third time. It took a while, but at last he had the milk in hand, returned to the room, and turned it over, praying that it was the last trip he would have to make that night.

Babette smiled and took the cup. As he cuddled up under the blanket again, she relaxed against the pillows. Sipping at the milk, she glanced at Lumière, and her smile broadened. As annoyed as he could make her, he _was_ an amazing man. He had done so much for her in the past two months, and she was truly thankful and adored him even more than the day they fell in love.

When she finished the milk, she put the cup aside and made herself cozy against his back. Taking her lips to his ear and neck, she murmured, "Lumière, it takes an extraordinary husband and father to care of his family so diligently, with such caring and sacrifice." She ran her fingers lightly along his arm. "What do you say to…my undying love and gratitude?"

He did not reply.

"Lumière? Did you hear me?"

A loud snore broke the silence, and Babette laughed gently. She kissed his cheek, and blew out the candle.

"_Bonsoir, mon coeur_," she whispered with a yawn. Nestled close against Lumière, she slowly followed him into sleep. "Sweet dreams."

ooo

One evening two weeks later, Lumière desperately tried to keep focused. Pouring wine into a guest's glass at dinner was not a time to be distracted, and he had already come dangerously close to spilling the wine onto the Duchesse de Leon's exquisite dress one time too many. Had it not been for Vincent clearing his throat loudly to keep his servant alert, the emerald gown would have had nice ruby stains accenting its skirts.

But Lumière could not help himself, anxiously glancing back and forth between the table and the doors. Babette had gone into labor early that morning. When the midwife had arrived, he was immediately banished from the room. He had argued to stay, not wanting to leave his wife. But having seen that Babette was only uncomfortable, not yet in pain, he unwillingly agreed. In return, the midwife had sworn that she would send for him when there was any chance that it was time.

Thus, there he was serving dinner. An exhausted bundle of nerves, the same as any man becoming a father for the first time.

The Duc de Leon, however, was not the sort to take that as an excuse. "Shall we be waiting _much_ longer for the main course?" he snarled, scowling at Lumière. "It will be a _long_ journey home and I would like to have _something_ settling my stomach."

_Dieu_, it _was_ starting to show in his work, Lumière scolded himself. "I will see to it right away, your grace," he said apologetically. "A thousand pardons."

Belle sent a comforting glance his way, mouthing, "Relax!" Lumière nodded with a tiny, grateful smile before he disappeared into a kitchen.

The Duc shook his head in disapproval. "A good staff is difficult to find these days, is it not?" he said, the sympathy in his tone patently phony.

Vincent glared at his guest. As much as he admired Belle's good heart, there were some occasions when he wished that it wasn't so kind. The grand ball hosted by the Comte and Comtesse de Martine had ended far past midnight the night before. The Duc and Duchesse did live a long distance away, and the castle was closer to their home. Belle had invited them to stay with them to avoid a late return home, with Vincent's agreement, and they were to leave once the early dinner ended. After the prince had seen the haughty attitude in both the Duc and Duchesse, he was all too happy at the thought of sending them off soon. Feeling the same way and, more importantly, worried about Babette, Belle had whispered to him to keep the meal short.

"Every man has a bad day occasionally, Monsieur le Duc," Vincent countered. "Perhaps if you were – " He stopped as Belle touched his arm, helping to control his infamous temper and be the better person. "Please wait a bit longer," he said, forcefully calm. "Even on his worst days, Lumière always has a fine meal prepared that is worth the patience. You will not regret it."

The Duc offered a weak grin, inwardly sneering. This was what happened when mere servants were treated as equals instead of workers. But never one to disagree with a superior, he nodded. "_Très bien_, your majesty. We look forward to it."

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Lumière was rushing to check each plate, intensely grateful that they had not gone cold. When he gathered two, however, calling for assistance with the others, the door slammed open. He turned to find a young girl racing towards him, recognizing her as one of the upstairs maids.

"Monsieur Lumière!" she cried. "Monsieur Lumière, wait! It is important!"

Lumière glanced at the dining room doors impatiently, knowing that he would be massacred for this if he stalled any longer. But concern overpowered him as the girl caught up, panting breathlessly.

"Slow down, _ma petite_," he said. "What is it?"

The girl pointed in the direction from which she came. "Babette, _monsieur_…she…it's almost time!"

Lumière froze in place, quickly putting the plates down before he lost feeling in his hands.

"N-now?" he stuttered. "R-right now?"

"Well, I'm not sure, but…she's in a lot of pain and the midwife said to fetch you."

Lumière leaned heavily against the table, running a hand nervously through his hair. Why now? Why did this have to happen now? He would have happily taken another night of lost sleep instead of this! Babette really needed to work on her timing!

"What are you waiting for?" Cogsworth hissed, entering from the dining room. "Get these dishes outside!"

Wonderful, just what they needed, Lumière groaned mentally. Closing his eyes tightly, he handed the plates over to the head of household frantically. "Here, they are ready!" he said, gesturing over the server who helped him. "Babette needs me. Take them out there, and Jacques will assist you."

"Lumière, wait right there!" Cogsworth called, stopping the _maitre d'_ in his tracks. "I know you are worried, but I do believe that your wife can hold on until dinner is _over_!"

Lumière shook his head adamantly. "_Non_, she can not. The baby is on its way."

Cogsworth's eyes practically bulged out of his head. "_Now_? Is she mad?? She couldn't wait until dinner ended?"

For the sake of his sanity, Lumière laughed softly, hearing his previous thoughts coming from his comrade. Did he really sound that ridiculous? "It could be now, it could be then, _mon ami_, but it is happening as we speak," he said.

"And what, pray tell, are we supposed to do?"

"I told you, help me a little," Lumière pleaded. "Jacques knows what to do. I must go to her!"

He did not even wait for the man's response before he ran through the hallways to his bedroom. Throwing the door open, Lumière halted in place, ignoring the midwife's protests. Babette was all that mattered, and she was lying in bed, writhing in pain with tears streaming down her cheeks. Racing to her side, Lumière took up her hand gently.

"Babette, _ma femme_, I am here," he crooned tenderly. "I am here, do not cry!"

She opened her eyes, reaching for him. "Lumière, _mon cher_!"

The midwife came forward, prepared to call for someone to take him from the room. "Monsieur Lumière, I only sent that girl to tell you that it could be soon, not to barge in here!"

"_Non_!" Babette cried. "_Non_, please! Please let him stay for just a minute!"

The midwife ran an exasperated hand over her face. "One minute!" she said firmly, busying herself with minor preparations. "No more! The last thing we need is a worried husband getting in the way of things."

Lumière breathed a sigh of relief. As he sat on the bed, gathering her gently in his embrace, Babette sobbed into his shoulder and clutched him tightly against her.

"Lumière…oh Lumière, it hurts!"

"I know, _chérie_, I know," he replied soothingly. "Come now, take a deep breath."

She obeyed repeatedly until the pain died down a little. When she was calmer, he smiled. "There we go, my sweet, _très bon_!"

Babette looked up at him, her face red and tear-stained. "Lumière, make it stop."

"I wish I could," he said. "I really do. But we must let nature take its course."

"To hell with nature, it hurts!" she bawled.

Lumière gazed at her sympathetically. "You have to relax; please try. If you can not, then neither can I, which will only make things worse." He grinned. "After all, dinner is still going on. You truly have the worst timing on earth, _ma plumette_."

Her eyes bore into him threateningly. "You think I _planned_ for this to happen? That I live to disrupt your precious work with such a minor thing as having _your_ baby??"

"_Non, non_ of course not!" he answered in haste and kicking himself for saying anything. "Not at all!" When she fell back against the pillows with a groan, he grasped her hand, kissing it profusely. "It will be all right, _amour_, really, and while I can not be in here, I will be just outside waiting, I promise."

He smiled, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. "But before I do, I just want you to know that I am proud of you, _ma femme_, and forever grateful…for everything."

The words pacified her, and she reached for his cheek. "_Je t'aime_," she whispered.

"_Je t'aime aussi_, _à tout jamais,_" he said, turning to kiss her palm before he rose. "You can do it; I know you can."

ooo

It may have only lasted another hour, or perhaps minutes. Lumière had lost all sense of time since leaving the room. _Dieu_, between concern and anxiety, it felt like days! In-between pacing the hallway, he nursed a glass of wine, wincing at every scream and curse that Babette let out. At this rate, he would be lucky if she ever let him near her again

The hallway clock tolled the late hour. While that could not shake Lumière from his worry, the infamous human clock nearby certainly did.

"Is everything all right?" Cogsworth asked.

Babette's shriek erupted from inside the room, and Lumière fidgeted in his seat. "If that is normal, then _oui_, all is well," he said, gesturing to the door.

Cogsworth nodded. "I'm fairly sure it is, though very painful for her, I imagine." He took a seat beside Lumière. "How are _you_ doing?"

Lumière grinned in spite of himself. "I am a little nervous, but I doubt any man can escape such feelings on the day he becomes a father."

"No, I suppose not," Cogsworth said. "But you really shouldn't worry. I think…you are going to make a wonderful father."

Lumière raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that a compliment? From _you_ of all people?" he asked, a smirk playing about his lips.

Saving face, Cogsworth frowned, though Lumière knew the truth. "Get off the high horse, Lumière," he said. "You are simply a big child yourself, and little ones love that. Besides, at least this one will have a good role model in _me_ should you fail."

Lumière laughed. "_Merci, mon ami_, I appreciate the help."

They sat in silence before Lumière began his hundredth pace. But by the time he returned to the door, he heard it, the sound that he had been waiting for all night – the baby's first cry.

"Ah, how precious, it has Babette's lungs," Cogsworth commented, frowning already at all the sleep everyone in the servants' quarters would lose.

But Lumière was too elated to counter the jab. Jumping from his chair as the midwife opened the door, he breathed a sigh of relief to see her smile.

"You can come in now," she said. "She hasn't stopped asking for you."

Lumière eagerly raced inside, though he approached the bed slowly to take in the precious sight. Babette looked so perfectly blissful, practically glowing. In her arms was a crying bundle, but soothing words calmed it down. When Lumière sat carefully beside her, Babette gazed up at him, beaming.

"_Bonjour_, Papa," she murmured.

Lumière leaned down to kiss her. "How are you feeling?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her.

"Exhausted!" Babette replied, dramatically. "And it still hurts." She looked down at the bundle. "But…oh, she was worth it."

"She?"

Babette grinned, carefully handing the swaddled baby over to her husband. "_Oui_, it is a girl!!"

Lumière tenderly accepted the offer to hold his first-born, following Babette's instruction on how to do so correctly. When the baby snuggled into his arms, Lumière felt his heart melt. He brought his finger up to stroke her feathery reddish hair, very much like his own, and her soft cheek. Her pouting lips – entirely her mother's – twitched slightly at his touch, and she squirmed a bit before getting cozy again.

Lumière shook his head in amazement, chuckling quietly. "She is perfect, absolutely perfect," he whispered and his eyes grew misty. He kissed the baby's forehead before showing his wife the same affection. "_Merci, merci beaucoup, ma plumette._ For giving us…are we still decided on Celina for a girl?"

Babette smiled gently, detecting the tiniest hint of minor disappointment in his voice when speaking of the name. "Do not play brave, Lumière. It is all right to be upset."

He looked at her, indignant. "I am not upset!" he hissed, staying quiet so as not to disturb the baby.

"Yes, you are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

Lumière grew sheepish when she did not ease the gentle accusations. "Only a little, but I swear to you that I could not be happier!"

"I know, _mon cher_," Babette said reassuringly. "But listen to me. I…have a compromise. A very good compromise."

ooo

The same priest who had frowned numerous times during Lumière and Babette's wedding now stood smiling over the irresistible child in Babette's arms.

"Chandellina, I christen thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

Lumière grinned, watching his beloved daughter protest against the water lightly poured over her head. When it was all over, he followed Babette as she carried their darling little girl upstairs.

"Chandellina," he cooed, tickling her gently and earning a gleeful response from her. To Babette, he said, "I still say that is one of your finest ideas, _ma plumette_. Perhaps the best!"

"Even over marrying you?" Babette teased, laughing at his mockingly hurt expression.

Seriously, she turned her attention to her baby, smiling proudly. Chandellina – the perfect blend of two wonderful parents that the couple hoped to emulate.

Lumière drew his wife close, watching as his little Lina – the pet name he had given her – played with the blanket.

"She is going to break quite a few hearts someday," he said.

Babette giggled. "But of course, she is our child."

"And thankfully as beautiful as her mother," Lumière murmured, kissing her cheek sweetly.

Babette smirked, looking up at him. "As beautiful as her mother, indeed. Why do I think you will regret saying that in years to come?"

"Why would I?" Lumière asked. "It is very much the truth. Look at her! She will have men lining up to ask permission for courtship before you know it!"

"Men like you?"

Lumière's smile faded a bit at the thought. "Then again," he said slowly. "She is not allowed to court any man until she is the same age as you."

"She never will be – at least not at the same time," Babette pointed out.

"Exactly so."

Babette laughed, turning to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. "Well, let us worry about that when the time comes. She will only be a baby for so long, and we should enjoy it while we can."

Lumière grinned, returning the kiss in full, but was interrupted as Lina began gurgling and cooing. Both Lumière and Babette smiled in amusement.

"So young, and already she shows signs of having horrible timing," Lumière laughed. "Cogsworth will be less than pleased, I am sure."

"She will surely be like you when it comes to him," Babette replied.

Lumière leaned over the bassinet, crooning, "If she does, I will be the proudest father in the world! Yes I will!"

Lina squirmed happily before yawning delicately, her eyes slipping closed. Babette smiled and followed her daughter's lead.

"Seems to me that she has the right idea!" she said, moving to the bed to lay down. "I could use a quick nap." She patted the place beside her invitingly. "Care to join me?"

Lumière willingly accepted. Neither of them had gotten much sleep in so long, and taking a nap now and then had become a rare delight. He sighed, reveling in the softness of the bed, and embraced Babette lovingly.

"_Merci, mon cher_," Babette whispered.

Lumière snuggled close to her. "Whatever for?"

Babette grinned. "For everything. You have given me all that a man can give the woman he loves: security, devotion, family…and true love. I never thought I could have all of that."

Lumière squeezed her affectionately. "You always will, as long as we live, and beyond forever."

"Promise?"

"You have my word," he swore, kissing her with utmost passion. "Now onto that nap." He smiled adoringly at her, nuzzling her cheek. "Because I want to well rested, and enjoy the rest of our lives together."

Babette gave him one last kiss before closing her eyes. But she did not dream as she normally did. She didn't have to. Her husband was at her side, and her daughter slept nearby. Her dreams at long last had come true.

* * *

_A/N: And there it is! The final chapter of the final story in the Romance series. As always, I'm not done yet, and expect a brand new story very soon! Thanks to all readers, new and veterans! My gratitude always!_


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